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Jeff Passan, ESPN
MINNEAPOLIS — In his first postseason start since a combined World Series no-hitter last year, Houston Astros right-hander Cristian Javier was introduced to the cruel fates of regression.
He gave up one hit.
Javier continued his historic postseason stinginess Tuesday, going five sterling innings as the Astros subdued the Minnesota Twins in a 9-1 victory in the pivotal Game 3 of their best-of-five American League Division Series. Houston can clinch its seventh consecutive ALCS appearance with a win at Target Field on Wednesday or, if the Twins force a Game 5, in Houston on Friday.
After a first-inning double by Max Kepler, the 26-year-old Javier navigated the dangerous Twins lineup without allowing further damage. He walked five and struck out nine as he wriggled out of jams in the first, third and fifth innings, the latter of which he punctuated with back-to-back strikeouts of Kepler and Twins cleanup hitter Royce Lewis.
In Game 3 of the ALCS last year, Javier’s first playoff start, he threw 5⅓ shutout innings and allowed just one hit. Eleven days later, in Game 4 of the World Series, Javier went six hitless innings, combining with three relievers on just the second no-hitter in World Series history.
Over his three postseason starts, Javier has held batters to an .040 batting average (2-for-50). He became the fourth pitcher in history with at least three consecutive scoreless starts of five or more innings, joining Hall of Famers Whitey Ford and Christy Mathewson — who threw complete games in their streaks — along with Kenny Rogers.
Houston’s offense, meanwhile, ambushed Twins starter Sonny Gray for four first-inning runs, including three off a Jose Abreu home run. Alex Bregman homered in the fifth inning, and Gray — who had not allowed more than one home run in a game in more than two years — left soon thereafter.
Minnesota’s bullpen wasn’t much better. Astros star Yordan Alvarez hit his fourth home run of the series in the ninth inning, capping a 3-for-5 day that included a pair of doubles. The Astros pummeled Minnesota for 14 hits.