Cristian Javier, Houston Astros bullpen combine for no-hitter vs. New York Yankees
Houston Astros pitcher Cristian Javier and two relievers combined for the first no-hitter against the New York Yankees in 19 years, shutting down the best team in baseball for a 3-0 victory at Yankee Stadium on Saturday.
Javier (5-3), a 25-year-old right-hander without a complete game in 84 professional starts, set career highs with 13 strikeouts on 115 pitches over seven innings before he was pulled by manager Dusty Baker after the seventh inning.
«I feel really happy, really proud right now for this moment that God has given me,'' Javier said via interpreter.
Said closer Ryan Pressly, who finished off the gem with a 1-2-3 ninth: „To do it in New York, it's the best feeling in the world.“
In a matchup of the teams with the top two records in the American League, New York didn't come close to a hit before a silenced crowd of 45,076. The major league-best Yankees lost consecutive games for the first time since May 28-29 against Tampa Bay, getting their only runners on three walks and an error.
Houston's Cristian Javier, Hector Neris and Ryan Pressly combined for 15 strikeouts against the New York Yankees on Saturday, tied for the third-most in a no-hitter.
Hector Neris relieved Javier in the eighth inning, but not without some drama. Neris allowed two walks before getting out of the inning on a fly ball to the warning track by Joey Gallo and a hard grounder by Aaron Judge for a fielder's choice.
»I said, 'I have to get it for my team, I have to get it for Javy,''' said Neris, who had never pitched in a no-hitter before.
Pressly, who gave up a tying three-run homer to Aaron Hicks in a 7-6 loss Thursday night, retired three straight batters in the ninth for his 15th save in 18 chances. After Giancarlo Stanton hit into a