CNN —
Cristian Javier’s parents had an idea that he would do something special in Game 4 of the World Series. And the Houston Astros starter would agree with three of his fellow slingshots.
The Astros produced the first combined no-hitter in World Series history on Wednesday — and the Fall Classic’s second no-hitter overall — when Javier and Houston’s bullpen defeated host Philadelphia Phillies 5-0 to set the best-of-seven -series with 2-2 and secure their place in baseball history.
Javier threw six innings with no-hit ball starting for the Astros, batting nine and going two over 97 pitches before being sacked.
Bryan Abreu and Rafael Montero then each pitched a perfect inning before Ryan Pressly ended the Phillies in the ninth, leaving the hosts at Philadelphia’s Citizens Bank Park without a hit.
After the final out, Javier ran from his dugout to hug Pressly on the mound, surrounded by her celebrating teammates. In an on-field interview, he was asked when he knew the night was going to be something special.
“It’s funny. My parents told me today that I’m going to throw a no-hitter and thank God I was able to pull that off,” Javier told Fox Sports through a translator.
Javier, who is from the Dominican Republic, later told reporters his father had arrived in the US just a day earlier to watch him pitch.
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 he was thinking of Javier and protecting his health when he decided to draw him after the sixth, noting Javier’s increasing pitch count and the strength of the Astros bullpen.
“It’s always hard to take out a player, but you have to balance the no-hitter and the history against trying to win this game and get back to 2-2 in the World Series,” Baker said.
The only previous no-hitter in 118 years of World Series history came from a pitcher, Don Larsen, who threw a perfect play in the 1956 World Series.
According to Major League Baseball, the Astros now have the distinction of throwing the first combined no-hitter not only in the World Series but in postseason history. Aside from the exploits of Astros and Larsen, the only other postseason no-hitter was thrown by Roy Halladay for the Phillies in the 2010 National League Divisional Series.
Philadelphia manager Rob Thomson noted that the New York Mets had a no-hitter against the Phillies earlier this year and won the next day.
“These guys have short memories. You’re going home tonight. They’re going to go to bed and come back here tomorrow and prepare and compete like they always do,” Thomson said.
This is Houston’s second no-hitter this season. On June 25, Javier, Hector Neris and Pressly combined in one against the Yankees.
The Astros catcher who called his team’s courts Wednesday, Christian Vazquez, also ran to Pressly for a hug after the game. Houston’s pitching coach, Joshua Miller, praised Vazquez for his role.
“He calls every pitch, he sees the movement, he sees the batter’s reaction,” Miller said, according to MLB.com. “It’s tremendous to know how to call and when to maybe give up the general game plan in certain situations.”
Vazquez said he didn’t think about finishing Wednesday’s no-hitter until “maybe the last inning” as the strong Phillies lineup advanced to a Game 3 win on Tuesday.
“We’re not done with the work yet, but this is something very special for us. And when we get old, we’ll remember that,” Vazquez said.