CNN
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Cristian Javier’s parents thought he would deliver something special in Game 4 of the World Series. And the Houston Astros pitcher, along with his three fellow hitters, will prove them.
The Astros on Wednesday threw the first no-hitter in World Series history — and the Fall Classic’s second no-hitter in all — when Javier struck out the Houston bullpen. lead the Philadelphia Phillies 5-0 to tie the best-of-seven series at two. -2 and cemented their place in baseball history.
Javier threw six innings of no-hit ball in his start for the Astros, striking out nine and walking two over 97 pitches before being relieved.
Bryan Abreu and Rafael Montero would hit a home run before Ryan Pressly shut out the Phillies in the ninth, leaving the hosts untouched at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia.
After the final exit, Javier ran from his den to hug Pressly on the mound, surrounded by their cheering teammates. In an on-field interview, he was asked about the moment he knew the night was special.
“It’s funny. My parents told me that today I will throw a no-hitter, thank God, I was able to achieve that,” Javier told Fox Sports, through a translator.
Javier, who is from the Dominican Republic, told reporters that his father had come the day before to the United States to watch him stand.
Javier left the game with a 5-0 lead, with the Astros scoring all of their runs in the fifth. Houston manager Dusty Baker said after the game that he was thinking about Javier and taking care of his health when making the decision to pull him after the sixth, remembering the Javier’s score increase and the Astros’ bullpen strength.
“It’s always tough to take someone out, but you have to balance the no-hitter with history to try to win this game and get back to 2-2 in the World Series,” said and Baker.
The only previous no-hitter in the 118-year history of the World Series came from a pitcher, Don Larsen, who threw a perfect game in the 1956 World Series.
The Astros now hold the distinction of throwing the first consecutive no-hitter not only in the World Series but in postseason history, according to Major League Baseball . Outside of the Astros and Larsen’s career, the only other no-hitter in the postseason was Roy Halladay’s hit for the Phillies in the 2010 National League Divisional Series.
Philadelphia manager Rob Thomson said the Phillies were a no-hitter against the New York Mets earlier this season, then won the next day.
“These guys have little memory. They go home tonight. They sleep and come back here tomorrow to prepare and compete like they always do,” said Thomson.
It was Houston’s second shutout this season. On June 25, Javier, Hector Neris and Pressly combined for one against the Yankees.
The Astros catcher who called out his teammates Wednesday, Christian Vazquez, also ran to hug Pressly after the game. Joshua Miller, Houston’s pitching coach, praised Vazquez for his performance.
“He’s calling all the pitches, he’s seeing the movement, he’s seeing the hitter’s reaction,” Miller said, according to MLB.com. “It’s very important, and knowing what to call and when may leave the overall game plan in some situations.”
Vazquez said he didn’t plan to complete Wednesday’s no-hitter until the “last minute” because of the strength of the Phillies lineup, which rallied to win Game 3 on Sunday.
“We’re not done yet, but this is something very special for us. And when we get older we will remember this,” said Vazquez.
