PHILADELPHIA — For some reason, before Wednesday evening in balmy Philadelphia, America hadn’t seemed to notice that the most unhittable starting pitcher in baseball this year wasn’t Jacob deGrom, Max Scherzer or Sandy Alcantara.
It was, in fact, the amazing Cristian Javier, who somehow managed to let the entire sport hit .170 against him this year while almost no one was noticing.
Advertisement
But all that changed Wednesday in World Series Game 4 … a game that won’t be remembered for Astros 5, Phillies 0. It will be remembered as The Cristian Javier Game.
Except will we remember it for Javier’s six brilliant hitless innings against a Phillies lineup that was averaging seven runs a game at home in this postseason? Or will we remember it for what this man didn’t do — by which I mean finish what he started? Will we remember that it took four Astros pitchers to do what Don Larsen once did by himself, in simpler times?
Whatever, history will forever recall that the Astros threw the second no-hitter in World Series history. But it was still quite the Weird and Wild evening in South Philadelphia. So as always, that’s why this column was invented!
1. Astros throw first World Series no-hitter since Don Larsen
We now know who holds the most unbreakable record in baseball. It isn’t Cy Young (511 wins) or Old Hoss Radbourn (everyone’s favorite 60-game winner). It isn’t even Fernando Tatis Sr. (two grand slams in one inning).
It’s Don Larsen. He’s been gone from this Earth for over two years now. But he still had quite a night.
On one hand, you might think he just lost his sacred place in the World Series pantheon. For 66 years, he was the legendary author of the only no-hitter in World Series history. And now, thanks to the untouchable, unhittable Cristian Javier (and friends), that’s no longer true.
But then there’s the other hand. What Javier accomplished Wednesday night was breathtaking. It just feels weird (though not that wild) to compare it to The Don Larsen Game.
There is an iconic black and white photo of Yogi Berra jumping into Larsen’s arms after the final out of his perfect game in the 1956 World Series. If you care even a little about baseball history, you’ve certainly seen it. If not, I can help with that.
#OTD in 1956, the @Yankees Don Larsen teamed with catcher Yogi Berra to toss a perfect game in Game 5 of the World Series against the Dodgers. https://t.co/F4bSNnJuIp pic.twitter.com/iPvq5f2j2M
— National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum (@baseballhall) October 8, 2018
That leap, that look on Larsen’s face, the enduring vibrance of that photo — it’s the perfect summation of the meaning of that moment. But what was the meaning of this moment? I’ll give you a hint: To the team that had just thrown that no-hitter Wednesday, the hallowed-history portion of this evening was way down the Astros’ list.
WEIRD AND WILD: “Is there any part of you that wishes a guy throwing a World Series no-hitter could stay in and try to finish the game? Or is that just impossible right now?”
MARTÍN MALDONADO: “It’s about winning the game. That’s all. As long as we win the game, the result doesn’t matter. It’s about winning. The World Series is about winning. It’s not about a player or an achievement, or about player recognition or anything like that. The World Series is about winning. It’s about, ‘Give me as many innings as you can. Give us a chance to win.’”
Advertisement
W&W: “So nobody is ever going to break Don Larsen’s record again, right?”
MALDONADO: “Probably not. What year was that?”
W&W: “1956.”
MALDONADO: “No. Nobody’s doing that.”
I could interject here that back in 1956, the Yankees had this wacky idea that Larsen pitching a perfect game and finishing it was also helpful to the goal of winning the World Series. But as Astros manager Dusty Baker said, after I asked him a similar question, this “is just baseball in 2022.” Which is not to be confused with baseball in 1956.
So assuming that baseball from 2023 to 3093 is probably going to bear an uncanny resemblance to baseball in 2022, it tells us all we need to know:
A complete-game World Series no-hitter? Who the heck is ever going to throw one of those again?
I asked that question last year, after Braves manager Brian Snitker gave Ian Anderson the hook after 76 pitches and five hitless World Series innings. So why wouldn’t I ask it again, after Cristian Javier called it a night after 97 pitches and six hitless innings?
WEIRD AND WILD: “Was there a time in your career as a manager when you never could have conceived that a manager would do this, take a pitcher out of a World Series no-hitter?
DUSTY BAKER: “I don’t know. I’ve never been in that position, so I don’t know, to tell you the truth. The important thing is, we won the game.”
All right, thanks for clearing that up again. But now allow this column to clear up the answer to that question. Of course that was once inconceivable. Here come the facts!
In the history of baseball, eight starting pitchers not named Larsen or Javier found themselves throwing a World Series no-hitter after six innings. How many of them got the hook Javier got Wednesday? Right you are. That would be none.
In the 66 years since Larsen, only three starting pitchers have gotten through the sixth inning with a World Series no-hitter intact. We know what happened to Javier. Want to guess what went on with the other two? Of course they stayed in the game.
Advertisement
• In 1967, Jim Lonborg made it all the way until two outs in the eighth before he lost his no-hit bid.
• In 1969, Jerry Koosman kissed his no-hitter goodbye in the seventh.
But that was then. This is baseball in 2022.
And here at the Weird and Wild column, we’re not looking to bash baseball in 2022. There are many beautiful things about it. But throwing a four-pitcher World Series no-hitter in 2022 and then finding 75 ways to say it really didn’t matter? Not so beautiful!
2. Cristian Javier: He’s Mr. Unhittable!
All right, so now that we’ve got that little mini-rant out of the way, a word about Cristian Javier:
Unhittable!
And I’m actually not even saying that because he just pitched the first six innings of a World Series no-hitter. I’m saying it because he very easily could have been working on his sixth no-hitter in a row (or at least his sixth combined no-hitter in a row). Check out this dude’s last six starts. It’ll make the Phillies feel better, at least:
World Series Game 4 (at Phillies) — 6 IP, 0 hits
ALCS Game 3 (at Yankees) — 5.1 IP, 1 hit
Oct. 1 (vs. Rays) — 6 IP, 2 hits
Sept. 25 (at Orioles) — 6 IP, 1 hit
Sept. 20 (at Rays) — 5 IP, 1 hit
Sept. 14 (at Tigers) — 6 IP, 2 hits
Are you kidding? This guy just did that in real life, against major leaguers? Yeah, he did. Let’s digest that for a second.
Over his last six starts, he’s allowed a total of seven hits! Let’s put that in perspective. The ace-type pitcher he faced Wednesday night, Aaron Nola, allowed seven hits in this game — and only faced 20 hitters.
Batting average of the unfortunate hitters who have faced this man in those seven starts: .067! Yep, you read that right. Over those six starts (but not counting relief appearances), opposing hitters have gone 7 for 105 against Javier. Seriously. That’s 7 for 105! The Rockies’ Antonio Senzatela owns a lifetime batting average of .067. He’s a pitcher. So Cristian Javier has turned this entire sport into one gigantic Antonio Senzatela.
Advertisement
And if you’re asking, “Has anyone else ever done this?” … you know the answer! And it’s no! In the annals of Baseball Reference’s database, which is nearly complete over the last 107 years, not a single pitcher has ripped off six straight regular-season and/or postseason starts of five innings or more, allowing two hits or fewer. Not Nolan Ryan. Not Randy Johnson. Not Sandy Koufax. Not one.
WEIRD AND WILD: “Did you know (Javier) had five straight starts allowing two hits or fewer even before he did this tonight? That’s crazy, isn’t it?”
ASTROS RELIEVER HÉCTOR NERIS: “This guy, he’s part of the big guys in baseball. You know, like (Justin) Verlander when he’s younger. Like Pedro (Martínez) when he’s younger. Like (Jacob) deGrom. He looks like (Stephen) Strasburg, everybody like that. He’s part of that.”
W&W: “So is that the cool thing about doing this in a World Series? Now everybody knows it?”
NERIS: “Now this will help to remind everybody. He may not do this just one time. He’ll be in this line forever.”
GO DEEPER
Rosenthal: Cristian Javier leads Astros cast to monumental feat — 'We're going to remember this'
GO DEEPER
Astros' Cristian Javier makes World Series history with 'invisible' fastball
3. So much for the Home Run Derby
In Game 3 of this World Series, in this same ballpark, under almost the same weather conditions, the Phillies whomped five home runs.
So what happened in Game 4, in this very park, with the Phillies playing the same lineup? You know what happened, but I’ll go there anyway. The Astros no-hit them. That’s what happened.
DUSTY BAKER: “Man, it’s a strange Series. I mean, they hit five home runs yesterday and then no hits today. I mean, this is a daily game — and it’s filled with daily emotions.”
Right! So if you’re thinking like Dusty, that there was something Weird and Wild about having those two games take place, back-to-back, in a World Series, you’re also thinking like I’m thinking.
Complete list of teams in history to hit five home runs in one game and get no-hit the next game (regular season or postseason):
2022 Phillies
That’s a wrap for that list!
(SOURCE: STATS Perform)
But just for our Weird and Wild amusement, I asked STATS how many teams have even hit four home runs in one game and then gotten no-hit the next. Here’s that answer. (Spoiler alert: More Phillies games coming!)
HR | TEAM | DATES | NO-HITTER |
---|---|---|---|
4 | Phillies | 9/23-25/1956 | Sal Maglie (Giants) |
4 | Mets | 6/20-21/1964 | Jim Bunning (Phillies) |
4 | Mets | 6/7-9/2015 | Chris Heston (Giants) |
So in the history of baseball, only three teams had even hit four home runs in one game, then gotten zero hits the next game — and that’s in the regular season. But then the Phillies made five home-run trots one game and got no hits in the next in the middle of a World Series? How do we explain this stuff? Oh, that’s right …
Baseball!
GO DEEPER
Pressure shifts to Phillies as Astros even series with no-hitter: What's next in 'race to 2'?
4. And now more fun no-hitter facts!
PERFECT CITIZENS — This was the 1,745th game in postseason history. Only three of them have produced no-hitters. So what were the odds that two of those three (this one and Roy Halladay’s 2010 classic) would take place in Citizens Bank Park … with Dusty Baker managing the visiting team? (He was in the Reds’ dugout for Halladay’s gem.)
Advertisement
But here comes the Weird and Wild part. After 19 seasons, Citizens Bank Park is still a park where the Phillies have never thrown a regular-season no-hitter.
DEJA 000 — Thanks to loyal reader/tweeter Jeremy Frank for this perfect way to sum up the Weirdness and Wildness of this no-hitter coming in a Cristian Javier versus Aaron Nola duel:
• There have been three combined no-hitters this year.
• Two of those games featured starting pitcher Cristian Javier (both wins).
• Two of those games featured starting pitcher Aaron Nola (both losses).
THE ’STROS ARE BASEBALL’S COMBO KINGS! If any team was going to twirl the first combined postseason no-hitter, could it possibly be anyone but the Astros? This was the 19th combined no-no in history. The Astros have thrown four of them — all since 2004. Combined no-hitters by the other 29 teams since then: seven. Teams to throw more than one since then: The Astros. And that’s it.
HOUSTON’S ZERO HEROES — And finally, one more reason the Astros were always the favorites to do something like this: If it feels like they’re gonging their starting pitcher in the midst of a dominating no-hitter every few weeks, whether they need to or not, it’s because they are! Check out this list from STATS:
Starts with 9+ K’s and no hits in 2022:
June 25 — Cristian Javier
Aug. 23 — Justin Verlander
Sept. 16 — Justin Verlander
Oct. 4 — Justin Verlander
Nov. 2 — Cristian Javier
So what’s so Weird and Wild about that (besides the obvious)? That’s five starts like that, just for the Astros, in the last four-plus months. No other team, STATS reports, has made five starts like that over the last 35 seasons combined. Unreal.
5. Party of Four
The heavy lifting in this column may be done. But this column? Not quite done. So stay tuned for just a few more minutes as we unload our Weird and Wild notebook.
NO HISTORY LIKE DUSTY HISTORY — I meant to pass this along after Game 2, but the brain fog must have kicked in while I was typing at 3 a.m. So it’s never too late, because on Wednesday, Dusty Baker (for the second time in this series) became the oldest manager to win a World Series game. Here’s the leaderboard, from our friends at STATS:
SEASON | MANAGER | YEARS | DAYS |
---|---|---|---|
2022 | Dusty Baker, Hou | 73 | 140 |
2003 | Jack McKeon, Fla | 72 | 336 |
1960 | Casey Stengel, NYY | 70 | 74 |
1931 | Connie Mack, Phi | 68 | 291 |
2011 | Tony La Russa, StL | 67 | 24 |
LIFE ON THE BASEPATHS BEGINS AT 38 — Speaking of old dudes who’ve still got it, Yuli Gurriel stole a base for the Astros in Game 4. And what’s so Weird and Wild about that? Here’s what:
Gurriel was 38 years and 146 days old when he swiped that base. And only four players in history have ever been older than that when they stole a base in a World Series, according to Baseball Reference/Stathead:
• Doc Cramer, Tigers (40 years, 80 days), 1945 Game 7
• Jimmie Wilson, Reds (40 years, 77 days), 1940 Game 7
• Joe Morgan, Phillies (40 years, 23 days), 1983 Game 2
• Paul O’Neill, Yankees (38 years, 247 days), 2001 Game 3
Advertisement
RANGER THINGS — This is actually left over from Game 3, but I never got to it. Still, Phillies pitcher Ranger Suárez pulled off an almost unprecedented postseason daily double. And we’d hate to not mention it.
All right, what did he do? A week and a half ago, he saved the Phillies’ NLCS clincher against the Padres. Then Tuesday night, that same Ranger Suárez was back, starting and winning a game in the World Series. And did you know that …
In more than half a century, while the World Series and LCS have co-existed, only one other pitcher had ever done that in the same postseason? True! But now here comes the Weird and Wild Part. Which is …
The only other pitcher to ever do that was the guy who started against Ranger Suárez in Game 3! Yep, that would be Lance McCullers Jr. himself. Saved the 2017 ALCS clincher for the Astros, then came back and won Game 3 of the World Series as a starter.
Does baseball work in mysterious ways, or what?
THE EVEN BIGGER 5-0 — I wrote about this after Game 3. It’s getting even Weirder and Wilder after Game 4. How’s this World Series going so far? Here’s how:
Game 1 — Astros take 5-0 lead
Game 2 — Astros take 5-0 lead
Game 3 — Phillies take 7-0 lead
Game 4 — Astros take 5-0 lead
So here’s the even Weirder and Wilder part. This is the 118th World Series. At no point, during the first 117, were there more than two consecutive games with either team charging out to a lead of 5-0 or more, according to STATS. But now in this World Series …
It’s happened in two games in a row in both cities!
Which is very Weird … and very Wild … but also very …
Baseball!
(Top photo of Cristian Javier: Rob Tringali / MLB Photos via Getty Images)