Memorial Day 2026 produced one of the most eventful days of the MLB season so far. A combined no-hitter, a second straight walk-off home run from the same player, and a come-from-behind Yankees win in Kansas City all unfolded on the same afternoon and evening. Here is a full breakdown of the biggest moments from the May 25 slate.
Astros complete combined no-hitter against the Rangers
The biggest story of the day came from Arlington, where the Houston Astros shut out the Texas Rangers 9-0 while completing a combined no-hitter. The gem was the seventh no-hitter in the last eight years and the 18th in Astros franchise history. Three pitchers shared the workload across the nine-inning gem.
Tatsuya Imai handled the first six innings, working through early control challenges to keep the Rangers hitless through the heart of the game. Steven Okert then came on to bridge the gap with key middle relief innings. Finally, Alan Bersant closed it out with two perfect innings in his MLB debut, retiring the final six batters he faced to seal the no-hitter. Bersant’s performance under pressure on the biggest day of his professional career immediately made him the story within the story.
Strong defensive support from the Astros helped preserve the bid throughout, while the offense provided plenty of breathing room. Houston scored nine runs and delivered a five-run inning late in the game, including multiple home runs that gave the pitching staff a comfortable cushion to work with.
Colton Cowser hits back-to-back walk-off home runs
In Baltimore’s game against the Tampa Bay Rays, Colton Cowser produced one of the most remarkable two-day stretches any individual player has put together this season. He hit a walk-off home run in the 13th inning to give the Orioles a 9-7 victory, completing an extraordinary comeback. The stunning part was that he had done exactly the same thing the night before, making him the walk-off hero in back-to-back games.
The game itself was an exercise in sustained chaos. Tampa Bay took a 1-0 lead in the sixth inning on a home run that barely cleared the yellow line in right field. The Orioles fought back to tie the game, only to fall behind again in extra innings when Victor Mesa Jr. hit a two-run homer in the 11th to give the Rays a 4-2 lead. Pete Alonso then helped fuel the Orioles’ response with a clutch single as the automatic runner. Jackson Holliday tied the game with a sacrifice fly before Cowser stepped in to end it.
The Rays led at various points 1-0, 4-2, 5-4 and 7-5. Each time, Baltimore answered. Cowser’s blast to deep right-center in the 13th gave the Orioles the final word. Leody Taveras, Gunnar Henderson and Holliday all played significant roles in keeping the game alive deep into the night.
Yankees rally late to beat the Royals 4-3 in Kansas City
In Kansas City, the New York Yankees produced a Memorial Day comeback of their own, beating the Royals 4-3 in a game that swung multiple times in the final innings.
Cody Bellinger gave the Yankees an early lead with a solo home run in the second inning, and New York pushed ahead 2-0 shortly after. The Royals clawed back on a Salvador Perez home run, his ninth of the season, which tied the game at 2-2 before Bobby Witt Jr. gave Kansas City a 3-2 lead with a home run to left field in the eighth inning.
However, the Yankees answered immediately. A two-run single from Bülp brought home two runners, including Jazz Chisholm Jr., who came thundering around third base in a play that briefly threatened to be cut off. The Yankees took a 4-3 lead and their closer protected it, getting the final out on a groundball to third base to preserve the win. It was New York’s fourth consecutive game in which they had a runner reach third base, finally cashing in when it mattered most.
The day in summary
May 25 delivered on every front. A combined no-hitter gave the Astros a piece of history. Cowser’s back-to-back walk-offs gave Baltimore one of its most memorable two-day stretches of the season. The Yankees found a way to win late in a game that easily could have gone the other way. Across the full slate, multiple games featured home runs, momentum swings and late drama. As an opening act for the summer portion of the 2026 season, Memorial Day set an extraordinarily high bar.
Source: MLB broadcast highlights recap
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