Tatsuya Imai pitched six hitless innings at Globe Life Field this Monday. This is the first time he has allowed fewer than three hits while pitching at least a full inning. More importantly, he tossed a total of 97 pitches – the highest in his MLB career. 

After spending most of the season searching for answers regarding Imai’s form, the Astros finally have some good news. Imai looked like a completely new pitcher during Houston’s 9-0 combined no-hitter against the Texas Rangers. His quick turnaround came down to a simple grip change and a calm mindset. There are clear indications that Houston’s $54 million investment wasn’t a total nightmare. 

“He’s had an almost stoic presence,” Astros pitching coach Josh Miller said after the game. “I know it might look like he’s rattled, throwing balls, but he’s not. He’s calm.”

The right-handed pitcher has been struggling heavily since the Astros signed him earlier this year. While most Houston fans expected the Japanese star to be on the same level as Shohei Ohtani or Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Imai couldn’t even adjust to the American lifestyle. He cited several issues, including differences in mound type, ball texture, and frequent travel, which created roadblocks for him.

Even simpler things, like having dinner at the stadium or dealing with a pitch clock, were reportedly getting in his way. The result? A 3x All-Star with a 3.07 ERA in Japan was struggling with an 8.31 ERA after 5 starts. But something changed recently.

Imai added a sinker to his arsenal during the game against the Mariners. But this wasn’t a regular one. Imai changed his fastball grip to emphasize his thumb on the seam under the ball, rather than focusing on his index and middle fingers. This allowed more downward action with a horizontal run. The pitch was initially classified as a four-seam fastball, but the pitching staff later classified it as a sinker.

Imai asked Astros closer Josh Hader for help. Hader has a similar fastball classified as a sinker. Imai said he adopted a two-seam grip because Hader uses the same. But the Japanese star didn’t find success immediately. He allowed five hits in each of his previous starts before the Rangers game. And it was Miller who suggested that Imai go for the sinker.

The RHP was struggling with command, and Miller thought the sinker might help him get inside the strike zone more. That’s what happened, and that’s how Imai made a dramatic change in his performance. But the best part is that he wasn’t the only one with an incredible performance on Monday night.

Astros slowly find stability amid difficult season

After Tatsuya Imai was pulled, Steven Okert came to the mound in the 7th inning. He tossed 15 pitches over the same innings and continued the hitless streak after Imai. Alimber Santa replaced him in the 8th inning, and he wrapped the game in 24 pitches over 2 innings. And at the end, the Astros registered a combined no-hitter. The last time the MLB community experienced a no-hitter was from the Chicago Cubs against the Pirates in September 2024. 

The praise goes to the offense as well since most of them connected during their at-bats. The Astros offense looked confident from the very beginning as they secured a 1-0 lead in the 1st inning. By the 5th, they took it to 4-0. 

But they exploded in the 7th with a three-run homer from Christian Walker. That was the second time in two nights the 35-year-old hit a 3-run HR. Walker has recorded 15 home runs and 40 RBIs this season with an impressive .879 OPS. 

The Astros added two more runs in the same innings to make it 9-0. And it was their 4th straight win. Last weekend, they swept the series against the Cubs. Although that doesn’t make a huge impact on the positioning, as Houston is still 4th in the AL West with a 24-31 record. 

But there is noticeable improvement overall. The pitching staff had a 6.08 ERA in the first 32 games this season. The figure came down to 3.71 over 23 games in May. The offense isn’t bad either. A .247 AVG puts them 8th in the league, and they are 6th with 68 total HRs. 

All the team needs is stability and consistency in each department. They can easily overcome the earlier losses and enter the contention for the divisional crown.