Here is every Astros no-hitter
Ronel Blanco threw a 105-pitch no-hitter against the Blue Jays in a 10-0 win on April 1, 2024, recording the 17th no-hitter in Astros history.
Houston’s 17 no-hitters, including the playoffs, are the most by any of MLB’s expansion teams that have been added since 1961.
Here’s a look back at all 17 no-hitters in the Astros’ club history.
April 1, 2024: Ronel Blanco
Astros 10, Blue Jays 0
Besides a nearly symmetrical pair of George Springer walks to bookend the game -- one on the game's first plate appearance, and one with two outs in the top of the ninth -- Blanco was perfect in his eighth career MLB start. While the Astros' didn't particularly need Blanco to be dominant given that they hit five homers (including two apiece from Kyle Tucker and Yainer Diaz), the 30-year-old was still stellar in an outing that also included seven strikeouts. This game also represented the first win of manager Joe Espada's career, making him the first manager in MLB history to have his first win with a particular team come during a no-hitter, let alone the first win of a manager's entire MLB career.
Aug. 1, 2023: Framber Valdez
Astros 2, Guardians 0
Valdez was extremely efficient in his no-hitter against Cleveland, only needing 93 pitches to knock out the historic achievement -- 65 of which were strikes. Valdez faced the minimum 27 batters in the game, as he only allowed one walk (Oscar Gonzalez, fifth inning) that was followed promptly by a double play. Valdez, who finished with seven strikeouts, also became the first left-handed pitcher in franchise history to throw a no-hitter, and the first player in franchise history to throw a no-hitter while facing the minimum 27 batters.
Nov. 2, 2022: Cristian Javier (6 IP), Bryan Abreu (1), Rafael Montero (1) and Ryan Pressly (1)
Astros 5, Phillies 0
Javier dominated the Phillies over 6 six innings, striking out nine before before handing the no-no over to Houston's excellent bullpen. It was the first combined no-hitter and just the third no-hitter in postseason history, following Roy Halladay's in the 2010 NLDS and Don Larsen's perfect game in 1956.
June 25, 2022: Cristian Javier (7 IP), Héctor Neris (1) and Ryan Pressly (1)
Astros 3, Yankees 0
Javier struck out a career-high 13 batters on 115 pitches over seven no-hit innings against the Yankees before Neris and Pressly put the finishing touches on the third combined no-hitter in Astros history -- and their second combo against the Bronx Bombers. This marked the first no-hitter thrown at new Yankee Stadium, which opened in 2009.
Sept. 1, 2019: Justin Verlander
Astros 2, Blue Jays 0
Verlander joined an exclusive list as the sixth pitcher to throw three no-hitters, following Larry Corcoran, Cy Young, Bob Feller, Sandy Koufax and Nolan Ryan.
The right-hander shut down the Blue Jays -- becoming the third player to throw multiple no-hitters against the same team and the first to do so on the road -- in a 120-pitch effort, striking out 14 batters and allowing just one baserunner, a one-out walk to Cavan Biggio in the first inning.
Verlander dueled Blue Jays hurlers Wilmer Font, Sam Gaviglio and Zack Godley in a scoreless draw until the ninth inning, when Astros third baseman Abraham Toro went deep for a two-run homer off Toronto closer Ken Giles.
August 3, 2019: Aaron Sanchez (6 IP), Will Harris (1), Joe Biagini (1), Chris Devenski (1)
Astros 9, Mariners 0
Sanchez had struggled coming into his first start with the Astros after being acquired from the Blue Jays at the Trade Deadline. That didn't stop Sanchez from looking like a brand new pitcher, throwing six no-hit innings before turning it over to Houston’s bullpen..
Will Harris, Joe Biagini and Chris Devenski capped off the Astros’ second combined no-hitter in franchise history (June 11, 2003) and the 14th combined no-hitter in MLB history.
Aug. 21, 2015: Mike Fiers
Astros 3, Dodgers 0
Fiers ended a 12-year gap between the Astros’ most recent no-hitters with Houston’s first -- and only -- no-hitter as an American League club.
Just weeks after being acquired via trade from the Brewers, Fiers used 134 pitches to complete his first career complete game against the Dodgers in his third start as an Astro. Fiers pitched into the ninth inning for the first time in his career in a game he started, and eventually completed the first no-no inside Minute Maid Park since it opened in 2000.
June 11, 2003: Roy Oswalt (1 IP), Pete Munro (2 2/3), Kirk Saarloos (1 1/3), Brad Lidge (2), Octavio Dotel (1), Billy Wagner (1)
Astros 8, Yankees 0
Oswalt, the Astros’ fireballing three-time All-Star, was pulled after one inning with an injury, leaving Munro, Saarloos, Lidge, Dotel and Wagner eight innings to accomplish a rare outlier in MLB history: a six-pitcher combined no-hitter.
The Astros scored more runs than the Yankees had baserunners (six) in the franchise’s largest margin of victory in a no-hitter. Since Oswalt did not complete enough innings to be given the win, the official scorekeeper named Lidge the winning pitcher after tossing two perfect innings.
Sept. 8, 1993: Darryl Kile
Astros 7, Mets 1
Here’s something: a no-hitter, but a run was allowed.
In the final no-hitter thrown inside the Astrodome, Houston’s home for nearly 40 years, Kile walked a Mets batter, who later scored on a wild pitch. Kile needed just 83 pitches to complete nine innings of no-hit ball, and he had current Mariners manager Scott Servais as his catcher.
Sept. 25, 1986: Mike Scott
Astros 2, Giants 0
Scott’s 1986 no-hitter was remarkable for a number of reasons. First, he accomplished the unbelievable by tossing his no-no in an NL West-clinching situation. Scott shut down the Giants as the Astros won, 2-0, and earned the division title.
Scott’s gem was part of his NL Cy Young Award-winning season in ‘86, when he led the Majors in strikeouts (306), innings pitched (275 ⅓) and ERA (2.22).
His number, 33, was officially retired on Oct. 3, 1992.
Sept. 26, 1981: Nolan Ryan
Astros 5, Dodgers 0
Ryan did it again, and two more times after this one.
Ryan spun his fifth career no-hitter on Sept. 26, 1981, against the Dodgers en route to posting one of the lowest ERAs (1.69) of the Divisional Era (since 1969). Ryan’s 11-strikeout no-noremains the Astros’ latest no-hitter thrown on any given calendar date.
Ryan remains as the Major League leaders with seven no-hitters, four of which he threw with the Angels. Ryan’s legendary No. 34 was retired on Sept. 29, 1996, and he made two All-Star appearances as an Astro (1981, '85).
April 7, 1979: Ken Forsch
Astros 6, Braves 0
Forsch brought the hammer on Game No. 2 of the 1979 season.
Forsch, who may want to thank his defense, struck out three batters and walked two others to stymie the Braves on the second day of the season with plenty of balls, obviously, put into play. Forsch faced 29 batters and earned yet another Forsch family no-hitter. His brother, Bob Forsch, pitched two career no-hitters, as the Forsch boys became the first brothers to accomplish the feat in MLB.
July 9, 1976: Larry Dierker
Astros 6, Expos 0
It’s safe to say Dierker will remain in Astros lore for a long, long time.
Not only did he spin his 1976 no-hitter against the Montreal Expos with eight strikeouts, but he also shot a sacrifice fly, driving in one of Houston’s six runs in his nine-inning shutout.
In more than 40 years of service time as a member of the Astros organization, Dierker served as a player, front-office member, broadcaster and manager. In 13 season as an Astros pitcher, Dierker won 137 decisions, third to only Joe Niekro (144) and Oswalt (143) in club history.
May 1, 1969: Don Wilson
Astros 4, Reds 0
Here, Don Wilson became the Astros’ first pitcher in franchise history to throw more than one no-hitter (keep scrolling for No. 1).
Wilson completed the Astros’ first no-hitter on the road in nine innings with 13 strikeouts and six walks against the Reds, including a pair of walks to 17-time All-Star Pete Rose.
June 18, 1967: Don Wilson
Astros 2, Braves 0
Two seasons earlier, Wilson’s legendary pitching status in the club’s history took flight.
Wilson connected on 15 punchouts against 30 batters in the first no-no thrown inside the Astrodome. Wilson compiled a 104-92 record in nine seasons, and had his No. 40 retired on April 13, 1975, four months after his death in January of that year.
April 23, 1964: Ken Johnson
Reds 1, Astros 0
Johnson’s no-hitter in '64 for the Houston Colt .45s -- before the club rebranded as the Astros the next year -- may be the strangest no-hitter in the history of baseball.
Johnson became the first pitcher ever to spin a nine-inning, complete-game no-hitter and … lose. The Reds’ winning run was scored by Rose in the top of the ninth inning when Rose scored via an error, a groundout and another error.
"Say, I guess that will put me in baseball history?” Johnson said at the time, according to the Houston Chronicle. “What a way to get in the book."
May 17, 1963: Don Nottebart
Astros 4, Phillies 1
Nottebart anchored the maiden voyage of Houston’s no-hitters.
Against the Phillies in 1963, Nottebart secured the club’s first no-no, although a run scored. As reported by the Chronicle more than half a century ago, the franchise’s owner R.E. (Bob) Smith awarded Nottebart a $1,000 bonus for his outing in 1963.