NEW YORK - If there’s any team that can stand in the way of the Yankees’ march to the World Series, it’s the Astros. They’ve foiled the Bombers over and over through the years and made yet another statement on Saturday. This time, three Houston pitchers combined to no-hit the Yankees in a 3-0 win at Yankee Stadium.
Cristian Javier, who struck 13 in seven innings, Hector Neris and Ryan Pressley completely shut down the Bombers’ offense in what could only be seen as a preview of an October showdown. After dominating the American League for the first three months, the Yankees finally met their match in the Astros this weekend.
“I feel really happy, really proud right now for this moment that God has given me,” Javier said via interpreter.
Said Pressly: “To do it in New York, it’s the best feeling in the world.”
It must have been, because after the final out, the Astros gathered on the field and celebrated by jumping up and down on the infield grass, rubbing the Yankees’ noses in it a little more.
The Yankees were no-hit for just the eighth time, and the Astros had been the previous team to do it, across the street at the old stadium on June 11, 2003. Roy Oswalt strained his right groin after his second pitch of the second inning, and Pete Munro (2 2/3 innings), Kirk Saarloos (1 1/3), Brad Lidge (two), Octavio Dotel (one) and Billy Wagner (one) followed in an 8-0 win.
As a huge Stadium crowd watched in disbelief, the Yankees went down 1-2-3 in the ninth inning against Pressley: Anthony Rizzo and Josh Donaldson struck out before Giancarlo Stanton grounded out to end the game.
The Bombers made it interesting in the eighth inning after Javier was finally out of the game. Facing Neris, Aaron Hicks and pinch-hitter DJ LeMahieu drew walks that were sandwiched around Jose Trevino’s fly ball to left. Joey Gallo’s fly ball to the warning track in right allowed Hicks to advance to third.
With the fans on their feet, Aaron Judge lashed a sharp one-bouncer at shortstop Aledmys Diaz. He bobbled the ball momentarily before flipping to second for the inning-ending forceout.
“I said, ‘I have to get it for my team, I have to get it for Javy,’” said Neris, who had never pitched in a no-hitter before.
Javier’s 13 strikeouts were the most by an Astros pitcher since Gerrit Cole, then with Houston, struck out 15 Mariners in 2019. Javier whiffed every Yankee at least once, including Giancarlo Stanton three times.
Cole came into the game riding the ultimate hot streak, having held the Rays hitless over seven innings in his last appearance. He finally allowed a single with one out in the eighth, but the conquest of the Yankees’ division rival was nothing short of a masterpiece, including his 12 strikeouts.
Cole was off to another fast start on Saturday, retiring the first 24 Astros before finally surrendering a single to Jake Myers with two out in the fifth. The $324 million ace touched 100-mph on a several of his four-seam fastballs, allowing him to generate 10 swings and misses in the first four innings.
But the Yankees’ hitters were having just as much trouble with Javier, who was simply untouchable.
Just how dominant was he? The Bombers didn’t get a ball out of the infield between the second and sixth innings – a drought that included nine strikeouts. The budding no-hitter suppressed even the hint of a rally. The Yankees’ only early base runner was Donaldson, who walked in the first inning.
Otherwise, Javier and Cole were locked in an old-fashioned, old-school pitcher’s duel. It sure looked like one run – and maybe even one hit – would be decisive.
The no-hitter was the third in the major leagues this year after five New York Mets combined against Philadelphia on April 29 and Reid Detmers of the Los Angeles Angels accomplished the feat against Tampa Bay on May 10.
Houston’s no-hitter was its 14th, the first since Justin Verlander against Toronto on Sept. 1, 2019.
Martín Maldonado caught his second combined no-hitter with Houston — he also guided four pitchers through a gem against Seattle on Aug. 3, 2019.
NOTABLE
-- The Yankees had not allowed an unearned run in their last 28 games, dating back to the 11th inning on May 24 against the Orioles. The streak was the second-longest in franchise history.
-- Gallo brought a 3-for-34 slump into Saturday’s action, dropping his average to .176. He’s now at .173 after going 0-for-3. The struggling outfielder has been below .200 since May 15.
-- LeMahieu and Isaiah Kiner-Falefa were both out of the starting lineup. Aaron Boone indicated Kiner-Falefa was experiencing hamstring tightness. LeMahieu was on the bench because “I just wanted to give him a day,” according to the manager.
LOOKING AHEAD
Sunday: Astros at Yankees, 1:35 p.m., YES Network & MLB Network. RHP Jose Urquidy (6-3, 4.68) vs. LHP Nestor Cortes (6-3, 2.31)
The AP contributed to this report.
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Bob Klapisch may be reached at bklapisch@njadvancemedia.com.
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