PHILADELPHIA — As Cristian Javier walked off the mound for the final time Wednesday night, he kissed his hand and looked skyward. In that moment, with the Houston Astros right-hander in complete control of Game 4 of the World Series, it was difficult to say which of his feats was more unlikely: No-hitting the Phillies for six innings or turning down the volume on another ready-to-party crowd at Citizens Bank Park.
Either way, sound the alarms. The Phillies are suddenly in trouble.
Never mind that Javier and Astros relievers Bryan Abreu, Rafael Montero, and Ryan Pressly combined to throw the second no-hitter in the 118-year, 688-game history of the World Series, joining only Don Larsen’s perfect game in Game 5 in 1956. Put that aside for the moment.
Because it matters less that the Phillies lost, 5-0, in historic fashion than that they actually lost. And now, the series is tied at two games apiece, guaranteed to return to Houston over the weekend, with only Noah Syndergaard and the bullpen on Thursday night standing in the way of the Phillies facing elimination when they get there.
Say it together: Uh-oh.
One night after tying a World Series record with five home runs, the Phillies hit exactly two balls hard. Kyle Schwarber scorched a foul ball down the first-base line in the third inning, and Jean Segura hit a line drive at Astros right fielder Kyle Tucker in the eighth.
Otherwise, well, consider this: J.T. Realmuto, Bryce Harper, Nick Castellanos, and Alec Bohm — the heart of the order — combined to go 0 for 12 with 11 strikeouts.
And when Realmuto hit a soft roller to third base, Alex Bregman threw across the field and the Astros came streaming out of the dugout after making history.
Hard to believe, Harry.
It was little consolation that the Astros’ offense came in one inning. They loaded the bases and chased starter Aaron Nola with back-to-back-to-back singles. When Jeremy Peña’s skidded through the left side of the infield, manager Rob Thomson popped out of the dugout and turned to his best left-handed reliever, José Alvarado, who hadn’t pitched in four days after making nine appearances in a 22-day span since the beginning of the playoffs.
Alvarado was surely rested. But maybe he was rusty. His first pitch hit dangerous lefty slugger Yordan Alvarez to force in a run. Then, he allowed a two-strike, two-run double to Alex Bregman, a sacrifice fly to Tucker, and an RBI single to Yuli Gurriel.
Before you could say “no-hitter,” the Astros had a 5-0 lead.
Javier, meanwhile, was in complete command. He struck out Realmuto, Harper, and Castellanos in succession in the fourth inning before the Astros’ big rally, then whiffed Bohm and Bryson Stott to open the bottom of the fifth.
It was the continuation of a dominant postseason for the 25-year-old right-hander. In Game 3 of the American League Championship Series, Javier went into Yankee Stadium and gave up one hit and three walks in five scoreless innings. In three appearances overall in the postseason, he has allowed one run and racked up 16 strikeouts in 12 2/3 innings.
The Astros lifted Javier after 97 pitches, and Abreu took the baton and struck out Realmuto, Harper, and Castellanos in the seventh inning. Montero retired the side in the eighth before Pressly worked around a one-out walk to Schwarber in the ninth.
One night earlier, as the World Series returned to Philadelphia after 13 years, the crowd reached a rolling boil by the first pitch — a sinking line drive that landed in sliding Castellanos’ glove in right field — and kept right on going through the Phillies’ record-tying five home runs.
Game 4 had more of a powder-keg vibe.
And thanks to Javier, it never fully erupted.
Entering the game, the Phillies were batting .284/.362/.616 with 42 runs, 17 homers, and a .978 on-base plus slugging in six postseason home games. For context, Harper had a .985 OPS and was considered an early MVP candidate when he broke his thumb in June. Now, imagine nine of those hitters.
But after their historic Game 3 power display, Javier hit the mute button. And here’s the most impressive part: He did it by throwing primarily fastballs — none harder than 95.9 mph, with an average velocity of only 93.5 — to a lineup that typically mashes heaters.
It was as dramatic of a momentum shift as could be, even amid this magical, mystical Phillies playoff run.
And if anyone was ever overdue to win a World Series game, it’s Astros Game 5 starter Justin Verlander, who is 0-6 with a 6.07 ERA in eight career starts in the Fall Classic. A victory would be the cherry on top of his Hall of Fame career.
Say it again, Phillies fans: Uh-oh.
