Jayson Stark of The Athletic has some great factoids related to last night's historic game:
First, here are Cristian Javier's last six starts:
September 14 at Tigers: 6 innings, 2 hits
September 20 at Rays: 5 innings, 1 hit
September 25 at Orioles: 6 innings, 1 hit
October 1 vs Rays: 6 innings, 2 hits
October 22 at Yankees: 5.1 innings, 1 hit (ALCS Game 3)
November 2 at Phillies: 6 innings, 0 hits (World Series Game 4)
That's only seven hits allowed in six starts (34.1 innings)!
Over those six starts, opposing hitters are 7-for-105. That's .067. There was one relief appearance in that stretch: In ALDS Game 1 on October 11, Javier went 1.1 innings out of the pen, facing five batters and allowing one hit. Throw that in, and opponents are an anemic 8-for-110 (.073) against him since September 14.
According to Baseball Reference's database, which is nearly complete over the last 107 years, no pitcher has ever had six straight regular season and/or postseason starts of five innings or more, allowing two hits or fewer. No one.
The 2022 Phillies now hold the dubious distinction of being the only team in major league history (regular season or postseason) to hit five home runs in one game and get no-hit in their next game. There have been three instances in the regular season of teams hitting four dongs and then getting no-hit:
1956 Phillies - September 23-25 (No-hitter: Sal Maglie, Giants)
1964 Mets - June 20-21 (No-hitter: Jim Bunning, Phillies)
2015 Mets - June 7-9 (No-hitter: Chris Heston, Giants)
The Astros had five games in 2022 in which their starting pitcher allowed no hits and struck out at least nine:
June 25 — Cristian Javier (7-0-0-1-13, 115)
August 23 — Justin Verlander (6-0-0-0-10, 91)
September 16 — Justin Verlander (5-0-0-1- 9, 79)
October 4 — Justin Verlander (5-0-0-1-10, 77)
November 2 — Cristian Javier (6-0-0-2- 9, 97)
Five starts in just over the last four months. According to STATS, no other team has made five starts like that over the last 35 seasons combined.
In the last 117 World Series (1903-2021), there has never been more than two consecutive games in which a team led by 5-0 or more. But in World Series #118:
Game 1: Astros lead 5-0
Game 2: Astros lead 5-0
Game 3: Phillies lead 7-0
Game 4: Astros lead 5-0
It's happened in two games in a row . . . in both cities.
1 comment:
"Logically" you have the feeling that Gm 5 won't be like the first 4 - now we really are playing for All The Marbles & whoever takes the momentum of going 3-2 up could ride that to the finish line - you would expect Gm 5 to be far closer & the Series to be "on the line" right to the very last out
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