Javier’s stock continues to rise
Righty makes his case for playoff rotation with impressive performance against Tampa Bay
The Astros’ playoff pitching predicament is well-known at this point, an alliterative conundrum manager Dusty Baker acknowledged once again prior to Saturday’s game against the Rays. The window is shrinking for club officials to decide which arms stay on the division series roster and which do not. Cristian Javier complicates the puzzle with each subsequent gem he produces.
In the Astros’ 2-1 win over the Rays on Saturday, Javier worked six scoreless innings while allowing two hits and two walks with seven strikeouts. The outing extended his scoreless streak to 25 1⁄3 innings, the longest such active streak in the majors, and lowered his career-best season ERA to 2.54.
Javier said he doesn’t think about the scoreless streak while he pitches, and against the Rays focused only on executing the same game plan he used in his Sept. 20 start in Tampa.
“I’ve just been doing the same thing I’ve been doing the whole season, just trusting all my pitches,” he said through an interpreter. “And I think that’s given me the confidence just to attack all the hitters with it, and just trying to continue doing what I’ve been doing.”
Through six innings, the Astros went 1-for-6 with runners in scoring position and stranded four men on base. But they still maintained a two-run lead in that span, chiefly because Javier stunned the Rays for the second time in 11 days.
The Dominican hurler threw 62 of his 95 pitches for strikes and skillfully navigated the little traffic he encountered. No Rays batter reached second base while he was on the mound. When Taylor Walls drew a full-count walk with one out in the fifth inning, Javier threw him out at first base — the pitcher’s first career pickoff.
Javier’s results, achieved via a deadly four-seam fastball and slider combination, make him a virtual lock for the playoff roster. The question, if one exists, is in what capacity?
Because of the new division series schedule in MLB’s expanded postseason format, Houston could get away with a three-man rotation where the Game 1 starter could start Game 4 on four days’ rest. While Javier is certainly among the Astros’ three best starters, his versatility as it relates to relief experience makes a case for him to be in the bullpen, with the potential to start should the series extend past three or four games.
Regardless of the role he assumes, Baker said the Astros feel comfortable with Javier on the mound.
“I’ve been comfortable with Javy for a couple of years now, and in past years it was a matter of if he found the strike zone or not,” Baker said. “He’s getting the ball down upon command and up sometimes when he wants to. And the slider’s better. He’s getting better as a pitcher. He’s always had a great demeanor. He was very good.”
Another Astro auditioning for a playoff role made his mark Saturday.
In his first start since the Astros recalled him from Class AAA Sugar Land on Thursday, center fielder Jake Meyers hit 2-for-3 with a run and a stolen base.
“He looked more like Jake than he had all year,” Baker said.
Meyers spent a month in the minors working on his swing timing and regaining his confidence, two things he said paid dividends Saturday. Asked whether the looming playoff roster decision caused him to play with a sense of urgency, he hesitated briefly.
“I don’t know. I’m just happy I’m here for the last couple games,” he said. “I’m gonna enjoy every moment and try to play the game the same way as if it was a playoff game or a regular season game. And if I get called to play in the postseason, I’ll be really happy and ready to go.”
Meyers showed off his defensive chops, too, when he sprinted and made an inning-ending diving catch while reaching across his body to deny former Houston center fielder Jose Siri a hit. Meyers ran into the dugout, exchanged his glove for a bat and then led off the bottom of the third with a single.
Meyers went to second on a wild pitch, to third on Martín Maldonado’s sacrifice bunt and scored on Jeremy Peña’s RBI single to give the Astros a 1-0 lead. After Yordan Alvarez reached on a force out that saw Peña out at second, Jose Altuve trotted home from third base on a wild pitch to make it 2-0.
The Rays threatened a comeback in the top of the ninth when Astros closer Ryan Pressly issued two consecutive one-out walks. Pressly dispatched Ji-Man Choi with a thirdstrike curveball before pinch-hitter Yandy Díaz grounded an RBI single through the left side.
Pressly induced a game-ending flyout on his very next pitch, providing yet another example of Houston’s embarrassment of pitching riches.