Domination by Cristian Javier Powers Astros Closer to ALCS Triumph Against Twins

MINNEAPOLIS — Cristian Javier’s spectacular October performance propelled the Houston Astros closer to an American League Championship Series berth.

Javier, who threw a combined no-hitter in last year’s World Series, held the Minnesota Twins to just one hit over five scoreless innings, while the Astros hit four home runs to secure a 9-1 win at Target Field on Tuesday. With a 2-1 lead in the best-of-five division series, the Astros have the chance to seal their seventh consecutive ALCS appearance with a win on Wednesday.

Capitalizing on the late afternoon shadows cast over the field, Javier’s slider proved to be a formidable weapon, with 11 swings and misses. After giving up a double to Max Kepler in the first inning, the 26-year-old pitcher navigated through the dangerous Twins lineup, escaping potential damage in the first, third, and fifth innings. Javier’s performance was highlighted by consecutive strikeouts of Kepler and Twins cleanup hitter Royce Lewis in the fifth.

During the first inning, Twins fans attempted to rattle Javier by counting down the pitch clock collectively. However, Javier remained unfazed and used it to his advantage, ignoring the distractions and focusing on his catcher.

“I used it in my favor,” Javier said. “At that point, I stopped paying attention to the clock because they were counting and just paid attention to the catcher.”

His catcher, Martin Maldonado, expressed confidence in Javier’s ability to remain composed, stating, “I think the only way you can rattle him is if you punch him. I spent time with him off the field, and that’s him. Same thing you guys see on the mound.”

Javier’s performance mirrored his impressive outings from last October. In Game 3 of the ALCS, his first playoff start, he threw 5⅓ shutout innings, allowing only one hit. Then, in Game 4 of the World Series, he pitched six hitless innings, contributing to just the second no-hitter in World Series history.

Across his three postseason starts, Javier has limited batters to a mere .040 batting average (2-for-50). He became the fourth pitcher in history to record three consecutive scoreless starts of five or more innings, joining the ranks of Hall of Famers Whitey Ford and Christy Mathewson. Astros manager Dusty Baker considered replacing Javier in the fifth inning after he walked the bases loaded but decided to give him the benefit of the doubt.

“We had to make a decision on whether to leave him in there or go to somebody else. He came through,” Baker said. “He can smell a victory — or he can smell when I’m about to take him out.”

The outcome of the game was never in doubt, with the Astros’ offense delivering an early blow. First baseman Jose Abreu, in his inaugural season with the team, blasted a three-run home run in the first inning off Twins starter Sonny Gray and sealed the victory with a two-run shot in the ninth. In addition, Alex Bregman and Yordan Alvarez hit homers, with Alvarez now tallying four home runs in the series.

“It was a difficult day to hit,” acknowledged Twins manager Rocco Baldelli. “So them jumping out early was very, very important. Whichever team did that was going to definitely be in the driver’s seat because the game times that we have right now and our ballpark make it very difficult to see the ball.”

This difficulty was magnified by Javier’s exceptional performance. Although he faced challenges during his first full season as a starter, his October performance remains impeccable. Javier’s slider was his key weapon, described by him as “tremendous,” and he strategically used it to attack hitters.

Minnesota, known for its home run-happy offense that secured an AL Central title, managed to score its only run in the sixth inning with a pair of hits against reliever Hunter Brown. However, Bryan Abreu, Phil Maton, and Rafael Montero shut down the Twins’ offense for the remaining three innings, not allowing a single hit and striking out five batters.

In Game 4, the Twins will start Joe Ryan, who will face Houston’s Jose Urquidy. Both teams’ bullpens are expected to play a crucial role in the game.