Image: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

It seems strange to be talking about a no-hitter in November.

I would be just as puzzled at the notion of seeing Santa at an Easter Egg hunt.

But here we are – the Astros chose to tie this 2022 World Series in the most historic of fashions, collecting themselves from being run over in Game 3 by the Phillies and their raucous faithful in a 7-0 route, and not just returning the goose-egg under the ‘R’ on the scoreboard, but giving the Phanatics a rare two-for-one with an additional oval under the ‘H’.

An interest charge for the verbal assault placed upon Houston’s patron saint, “Mattress Mack” Jim McIngvale, after Game 3.

It was the fuck around of times, it was the find out of times, so sayeth the Lord, probably.

Make no mistake, all this game did, SCIENTIFICALLY, is tie the series at 2-2 and guarantee the Astros will command homefield advantage the rest of the way.

Who says you can’t enjoy scientific findings?

But this is no time for humble tidings; the Astros, behind the masterful performances of Cristian Javier (6 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 9 K, 2 BB), Bryan Abreu (1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 3 K), Rafael Montero (1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 1 K), and Ryan Pressly (1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 1 K, 1 BB), have done what no team in history has ever done in the Fall Classic, or the postseason.

Don Larsen’s perfect game for the Yankees in the 1956 World Series still stands as the only one of its kind, and Roy Halladay’s no-no for the Phillies in his first-ever postseason game in the 2010 NLDS against Dusty Baker’s Cincinnati Reds still stands as the only of its kind.

But what the Astros have done is provide MLB its first-ever combined no-no in the World Series and the postseason as a whole.

For Houston, its, their second combined no-hitter of the season, joining the team’s June 25 triumph at Yankee Stadium with – who else? – Cristian Javier on the mound for seven of those innings. That game was also closed out by Ryan Pressly, which also marks the first time in history that two pitchers on the same team have been involved in more than one combined no-no in the same season.

Javier’s famed “invisi-ball” fastball, an otherwise pedestrian 94 mph running heater, if there is such a thing, that runs high and finishes about three inches higher than a fastball of that kind typically does, kept the Phillies at bay all game.

Whereas the possible pitch-tipping of Lance McCullers Jr. in Game 3 may have aided in Philly’s historic barrage of home runs off of Houston’s breaking ball specialist, the cool and calm of “El Reptil”, plus the might of Houston’s league-best bullpen and a timely five-run fifth inning, combined to make for one incredible night.

Perhaps most impressive is the fact that someone like Javier is even here at all.

Remember, if it wasn’t for the strange and reality-bending year of 2020 and that wacky COVID season, with its punctuated spring trainings, expanded rosters and taxi squads, there may very well be no national, or even local, consciousness of Cristian Javier.

Javier had dipped his feet into Triple-A in 2019 for a couple late-season appearances, but as a non-top prospect, it was really just to fill the void of Houston’s own September call-ups, as well as an opportune time to see how he fared against high-quality talent in a small sample.

It went well.

Starting the season with seven appearances in Hi-A Fayetteville, Javier eventually moved up to Double-A Corpus Christi, where he shined over 17 appearances.

After his dominant ’19 season ended, Javier was named Houston’s Minor League Pitcher of the Year, and he was added to the 40-man roster, but there laid no grand plan to expedite him to Houston.

Until, of course, the world got sick.

Because of that season, the Astros brought up guys like Javier, Luis Garcia, and Enoli Paredes, and gave extended looks at players like Framber Valdez, who had been up since 2018, but had served mostly as a reliever until ’20.

That season gave the Astros the confidence they needed to know that their system of developing pitchers worked, and that they could begin to forge those young players under the crucible of October baseball.

The Astros are so deep, arguably their best starter was saved for Game 4 of the World Series, and didn’t even begin this season as a starter, instead serving as a multi-inning reliever with spot-start capability.

Now?

Well, now he’s earned himself a statue, a pre-retired number, a contract extension worth [WRITE A NUMBER – ANY NUMBER], and a key to the city, any city, all of them.

The Astros certainly won’t look again to Javier unless it’s in relief in Game 7, or as an opener for that game.

But Javier, if he is finished after 97 pitches and six innings of masterful work in Game 4, will be looking at a 2022 postseason line of 12.2 IP, 1 ER, 2 H, 14 K, 5 BB with a combined no-hitter in the Fall Classic.

Including the regular season, Javier has gone 5-0 with a 0.00 ERA and a 0.52 WHIP over his last six starts, punching out 43 batters in 34.1 innings.

The Astros, as well as the Phillies, know that this series is just tied. No one won the World Series after Game 4, so as special as this event was, and is, we’re already on the clock for Game 5.

The final game at Citizens Bank Park this season will feature soon-to-be three-time Cy Young Award winner Justin Verlander against Noah Syndergaard, the Phillies’ planned starter in Game 3 before the rainout pushed the schedule back.

Philadelphia will be banking on their Thor stand-in to give them anywhere between three-to-four innings before giving way to the bullpen.

They’ll also be hoping that Verlander and his historically crooked World Series resumé stay the course in what could be Verlander’s swan song with the Astros.

Predictions are for gamblers and losers who get them wrong a ton (see: last post), so I’ll save it for my head and my dad’s poor phone, which has been inundated with celebratory text messages, photos of buckets filled with nails (I was simply showing him what the pitching staff had for breakfast), and big eye emojis.

I’m a good son; I’ve never laid claim to being a great one.

History was made tonight. What a show!