Javier (7-1) earned the win over the Angels on Saturday, allowing one run on six hits and no walks while striking out five batters over six innings.
Javier notched just two victories through his first seven starts this season, but he's now reeled off five straight wins and is tied for second in MLB with seven victories overall. The right-hander notched his fifth quality start over his past six appearances with six solid innings Saturday, and he was pulled after 102 pitches with Houston comfortably ahead. Javier has been remarkably consistent this season, tossing at least five frames in all 12 of his starts and giving up more than three runs just once. His strikeout numbers have waned lately -- he has just 18 over his past 23 innings -- but that's a minor complaint given his continued excellence.
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Astros' Cristian Javier: Goes five innings in win
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Javier (6-1) allowed a run on four hits and three walks while striking out three over five innings to earn the win Sunday over the Athletics.
Javier gave up a leadoff home run to Ryan Noda in the first inning, but that was the extent of the Athletics' scoring. Despite the damage prevention, Javier was far from dominant -- he threw just 46 of 88 pitches for strikes, and the three walks were a season high. He's won four starts in a row and now has a 2.97 ERA, 0.99 WHIP and 67:16 K:BB through 63.2 innings across 11 outings. The right-hander is lined up for a home start versus the Angels for his next outing.
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Astros' Cristian Javier: Cruises to fifth victory
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Javier (5-1) earned the win Monday in Houston's 12-2 victory over Milwaukee, allowing one run on four hits and one walk while striking out five batters over six innings.
Javier served up a second-inning solo homer to Rowdy Tellez, but that was the only run the Brewers could manage against him. Meanwhile, Houston pounded out 10 runs over the first six frames, allowing Javier to exit with a win comfortably in his grasp. The right-hander finished with his fourth straight quality start and sixth overall this season while lowering his ERA to 3.07. Javier has given up more than three earned runs just once across 10 starts.
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Astros' Cristian Javier: Earns fourth win
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Javier (4-1) allowed one earned run on two hits and two walks while striking out five across six innings to earn the win Tuesday against the Cubs.
Javier allowed a home run to Matt Mervis in the second inning but otherwise shut down the Cubs' offense. Though he didn't have his typical strikeout stuff, he still managed 10 swinging strikes on 88 total pitches. Javier now has four consecutive quality starts in his last five outings, maintaining a 2.93 ERA and 0.85 WHIP with a 40:8 K:BB across 30.2 frames in that span.
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Astros' Cristian Javier: Strikes out 11 in third win
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Javier (3-1) earned the win Wednesday, allowing two runs on three hits and one walk over six innings during a 5-4 win over the Angels. He struck out 11.
Javier has completed at least five innings in each of his first eight starts and allowed fewer than three runs seven times during that stretch. The right-hander recorded a season-high 11 strikeouts Wednesday en route to his third win, marking the second time he's tallied double-digit strikeouts this year. Javier sports a 3.47 ERA, 1.01 WHIP and 54:10 K:BB through 46.2 innings and will look to maintain his strong play during his next start, which is tentatively scheduled for a three-game set versus the Cubs.
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Astros' Cristian Javier: Turns in solid outing
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Javier did not factor into the decision Friday, allowing three runs on three hits and two walks over seven innings against the Mariners. He struck out eight.
Javier tossed seven innings for the first time this season. The right-hander has been a solid option all year, sporting a 1.06 WHIP and never giving up more than four runs in a start. The 26-year-old is tentatively slated to face the Angels in his next appearance.
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Astros' Cristian Javier: Picks up first loss
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Javier (2-1) took the loss Saturday, allowing three runs on seven hits and one walk over 5.2 innings against the Phillies. He struck out six.
Javier gave up more than five hits for the first time since March 31 while Nick Castellanos' solo homer in the fourth inning marked his fourth straight start allowing a long ball. Javier made matters worse after the Castellanos home run by giving up a double to Brandon Marsh and advancing him to third on a wild pitch, where he'd eventually score on a sacrifice fly hit by J.T. Realmuto. Through six starts, Javier holds a 3.48 ERA with a 35:7 K:BB and remains a strong fantasy contributor as the Astros' second arm.
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Astros' Cristian Javier: Strikes out 10 in no-decision
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Javier did not factor into the decision Sunday, allowing two runs on three hits and two walks over six innings during a 5-2 win over the Braves. He struck out 10.
Javier retired 10 straight batters, including seven via strikeout, before serving up a two-out, solo homer to Kevin Pillar in the bottom of the fifth. He got into trouble again in the sixth and another run came around to score, but the right-hander was let off the hook when Houston tied the game at 2-2 in the eighth. Javier's 10 strikeouts were a season high, and through five starts (28 innings), he has a 3.21 ERA with a 29:6 K:BB.
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Astros' Cristian Javier: Earns second win
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Javier (2-0) allowed one earned run on three hits and two walks while striking out five across five innings to earn the win Monday against the Blue Jays.
Javier was handed a 7-0 lead after one inning, but he still needed 97 pitches to complete five innings of work. The only damage against him came on a solo home run by Matt Chapman in the fourth inning, and he otherwise relied primarily on strikeouts and flyouts to complete his outing. Javier has a fine 3.68 ERA through four starts, though he's only accrued 22 innings in that span while maintaining a mediocre 20.9 percent strikeout rate.
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Astros' Cristian Javier: Gives up four over six
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Javier did not factor into the decision Tuesday, allowing four runs on five hits and one walk over six innings against the Pirates. He struck out three.
Javier gave up a pair of homers in the no-decision; a two-run blast to Jack Suwinski in the second and a solo blast to Ji-Man Choi. He also gave up a run on a sac fly in his final frame, and he needed to be bailed out late to not pick up the loss. Javier was impressive against the Tigers on Wednesday with six inning of one-run ball, but he was disappointing in this effort. His next chance to rebound is scheduled for Monday against the Blue Jays.
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Astros' Cristian Javier: Sharp in Wednesday's win
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Javier (1-0) earned the win Wednesday, allowing one run on five hits and zero walks over six innings in a 8-2 victory over the Tigers. He struck out five.
Javier's lone run was surrendered on a two-out, infield single by Nick Maton in the third inning. Other than that, he kept the bases relatively clear and cruised to his first win of the season. Through his first two starts, Javier has 11 strikeouts across 11 innings and has walked only one batter. His next start lines up as a road matchup in Pittsburgh.
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Astros' Cristian Javier: Yields three runs
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Javier allowed three runs on eight hits and a walk over five frames during Friday's win against the White Sox. He struck out six and did not factor in the decision.
The 26-year-old settled in after allowing an RBI double to Eloy Jimenez in the first inning until Jimenez brought home another run as part of a two-run sixth. Javier forced 19 whiffs, including 10 with his fastball. He was in line to take the loss before his offense took over late in the game. Javier is lined up for a solid matchup against the Tigers at home next week.
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Astros' Cristian Javier: Four innings in return from WBC
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Javier allowed three earned runs on five hits and one walk while striking out five across four innings in Monday's Grapefruit League game against the Marlins.
Javier's line wasn't that impressive in his first official outing since returning from the World Baseball Classic. However, he managed to throw 76 total pitches, 51 of which went for strikes. Framber Valdez is likely to serve as the Astros' Opening Day starter, but Javier looks to be ready when he takes the mound for the first time during the 2023 regular season.
Javier signed a five-year, $64 million extension with the Astros on Friday, Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle reports.
This could be the first of many long-term deals under new Astros general manager Dana Brown, who has seemingly convinced owner Jim Crane that it's worth locking up certain key contributors. Javier flourished with a 2.54 ERA, 0.95 WHIP and 194:52 K:BB in 148.2 regular-season innings in 2022. The 25-year-old then allowed just one earned run and racked up 16 strikeouts across 12.2 postseason frames. His contract now runs through the 2027 campaign, securing all of Javier's arbitration-eligible seasons and what would have been his first two years of free agency.
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Astros' Cristian Javier: Stellar Game 4 performance
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Javier pitched six scoreless innings and earned the victory during Wednesday's 5-0 win over the Phillies in Game 4 of the World Series, allowing zero hits and two walks while striking out nine.
Javier delivered the best postseason performance of his young career in Game 3, keeping the Phillies hitless through six outstanding innings. Javier was removed after 97 total pitches, but the Houston bullpen would go on to complete the combined no-hitter, which was just the second no-no in World Series history. The only flaw on the night for the 25-year-old was that both walks he allowed resulted in steals of second base, although both runners were stranded at the keystone. Factoring in Wednesday's blanking, Javier now has a 0.74 ERA with 16 Ks over 12.2 innings this postseason.
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Astros' Cristian Javier: Starting Game 4 despite rainout
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Javier will start Game 4 of the World Series against Philadelphia on Wednesday, Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle reports.
There were initial conversations that Javier wasn't a sure thing to start Game 4 if Monday's Game 3 were to be rained out, but after MLB confirmed Monday's postponement, the Astros were quick to confirm that Javier would toe the rubber Wednesday night in Game 4. He's set to face off against Aaron Nola in Philadelphia.
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Astros' Cristian Javier: Shuts down New York in Game 3
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Javier pitched 5.1 scoreless innings and got the win during Saturday's 5-0 victory over the Yankees in Game 3 of the ALCS, allowing one hit and three walks while striking out five.
Javier had only made one appearance in the 2022 postseason -- a 1.1-inning relief effort in the ALDS -- but he was tasked with the start in Yankee Stadium for Game 3 and excelled on the road. The 25-year-old came into the postseason with four consecutive scoreless starts of at least five innings, and he added another by limiting the powerful Yankees lineup to just one hit in 5.1 frames. Javier produced the best season of his three-year career with a 2.54 ERA, 0.95 WHIP and 194:52 K:BB across 148.2 innings this year, and he's now continuing that success in the playoffs.
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Astros' Cristian Javier: Starting Game 3
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Javier will start Game 3 of the ALCS against the Yankees on Saturday, Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle reports.
Lance McCullers appeared to be lined up to start Game 3 in New York, but he'll instead pitch Game 4 on Sunday. It will be the first start of the postseason for Javier, who allowed one run over 1.1 innings out of the bullpen in his lone appearance during the ALDS against the Mariners. The right-hander didn't allow a run over his final four starts of the regular season, though he figures to have a reduced workload Saturday while making his first start since Oct. 1.
Javier (11-9) earned the win Saturday over the Rays, allowing two hits and two walks while striking out seven across six scoreless innings.
Javier was hot in the second half of September, and he kept it going into October with his fourth straight scoreless start. In that span, he's pitched 23 innings, allowing just six hits and six walks while striking out 29 in an absolutely dominant stretch that should solidify his spot in the Astros' playoff rotation. This was likely his last start of the regular season, and the 25-year-old ended the campaign with a 2.54 ERA, 0.95 WHIP and 194:52 K:BB over 148.2 innings across 30 appearances (25 starts).
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Astros' Cristian Javier: Fires six shutout frames
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Javier allowed one hit over six scoreless innings against Baltimore on Sunday. He struck out eight and did not factor in the decision.
Javier retired the first 13 batters he faced and gave up just one single in the dominant outing. Unfortunately for him, the Astros didn't secure the win until the 11th inning, preventing him from improving to 11-9. Javier has now turned in three straight scoreless outings; he's produced a 22:4 K:BB through 17 innings and lowered his season ERA to 2.65 during that span. The 25-year-old righty is projected to make his final start of the regular season next weekend at home against the Rays.
