SBS

Houston Astros right-hander Cristian Javier had been virtually unhittable all year, limiting opposing hitters to a .170 batting average during the regular season.

On Wednesday night, he was quite literally unhittable.

The 25-year-old twirled six no-hit innings against the Philadelphia Phillies in Game 4 of the World Series, issuing just two walks while striking out nine before he exited to a big hug from manager Dusty Baker after 97 pitches.

Relievers Bryan Abreu (1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 BB, 3 K), Rafael Montero (1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 BB, 1 K) and Ryan Pressly (1.0 IP, 0 H, 1 BB, 1 K) then followed with no-hit innings of their own to complete just the second no-hitter in World Series history.

Pictured: a combined #WorldSeries no-hitter. pic.twitter.com/TWvcN6LOTb

— MLB (@MLB) November 3, 2022

It's also the second time this year that Javier has been part of a combined no-hitter, as he struck out 13 batters over seven no-hit innings against the New York Yankees on June 25, making another piece of history in the process.

The Astros are the first team in MLB history to throw a combined no-hitter in a postseason game.

Cristian Javier also started Houston's combined no-hitter on June 25th against the Yankees.

No pitcher had started multiple combined no-hitters in their career... until tonight. pic.twitter.com/xMKIa8CmGd

— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) November 3, 2022

While pitching was the story in Game 4, the Astros bats also came to life a night after they mustered just five hits in a 7-0 loss.

Phillies starter Aaron Nola silenced the Houston offense for four innings, but he was chased from the game in the fifth when he allowed three straight singles to start the inning.

Bullpen ace José Alvarado entered with the bases loaded and no one out, promptly plunked Yordan Alvarez, then surrendered a two-run double to Alex Bregman, a sacrifice fly to Kyle Tucker and an RBI single to Yuli Gurriel to make it a 5-0 ballgame.

That was it for scoring on both sides, and the focus now shifts to a pivotal Game 5 with the series knotted up at 2-2.

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Cristian Javier Has Been Unhittable for a While Now

Cristian Javier started the 2022 season pitching in the Houston bullpen.

With Justin Verlander, Framber Valdez, Jake Odorizzi, José Urquidy and Luis Garcia making up the Opening Day rotation, there was simply no place for him on the starting staff.

On Wednesday, he joined exclusive company:

Cristian Javier has the 1st individual no-hit bid of 6+ IP in a World Series game since Jerry Koosman in 1969 WS G2 (6 IP bid)

— Sarah Langs (@SlangsOnSports) November 3, 2022

Simply put, not many teams in baseball history have boasted a No. 4 starter of Javier's caliber.

The 6'1" right-hander closed out the regular season riding a 25.2-inning scoreless streak, including four straight starts of nothing but zeroes in which he also allowed two or fewer hits each time out.

After serving up a solo home run to Eugenio Suárez pitching in relief in Game 1 of the ALDS against the Seattle Mariners, he returned to his starting role and allowed just one hit in 5.1 shutout innings on the road against the New York Yankees in Game 3 of the ALCS.

All told, his last six starts look like this:

• 5-0, 0.00 ERA, 0.47 WHIP, 7 H, 11 BB, 43 K, 34.1 IP

This didn't exactly come out of nowhere either.

He went 11-9 with a 2.54 ERA, 0.95 WHIP and 194 strikeouts in 148.2 innings during the regular season, and his stingy .170 opponents' batting average was the lowest among all pitchers with at least 100 innings of work.

Wednesday night's brilliant start was the pinnacle of his career to date, but don't be surprised if there are more great moments to come.

Cristian Javier's parents told him today that he'd throw a no-hitter...@Ken_Rosenthal spoke with the @astros Game 4 starter who just helped his team do just that. pic.twitter.com/Fjtv3bQOvG

— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) November 3, 2022

Say what you want about Jacob deGrom, Justin Verlander, Max Scherzer, Corbin Burnes, Sandy Alcantara, Gerrit Cole and whomever else you want to mention.

Cristian Javier is the best pitcher on the planet right now.

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The Astros Pitching is Set Up Perfectly for the Best-of-Three Conclusion

There's a case to be made that the Astros and Phillies had the two best one-two punches in baseball this season.

• HOU: RHP Justin Verlander (28 GS, 1.75 ERA, 0.83 WHIP, 185 K, 175.0 IP), LHP Framber Valdez (31 GS, 17-6, 2.82 ERA, 1.16 WHIP, 194 K, 201.1 IP)
  
• PHI: RHP Zack Wheeler (26 GS, 2.82 ERA, 1.04 WHIP, 163 K, 153.0 IP), RHP Aaron Nola (32 GS, 3.25 ERA, 0.96 WHIP, 235 K, 205.0 IP)

However, while the Phillies have now burned Nola and will have to turn to Noah Syndergaard and some combination of bullpen arms for Game 5, the Astros have their dynamic duo lined up with a chance to clinch a World Series title.

There's no ignoring the shaky start that Verlander put together in Game 1 or his 6.07 ERA in eight career World Series starts. Still, it's far easier to bank on a future Hall of Famer than it is a guy who hasn't pitched since Oct. 22 and hasn't started a game since Oct. 15, when he was lifted after three scoreless innings.

Even if the Phillies take Game 5, the Astros have Valdez lined up for Game 6 after he allowed four hits and one run and struck out nine in 6.1 stellar innings in Game 2. He'll presumably square off against Wheeler, who showed diminished velocity in his Game 2 start while allowing six hits and five runs.

As for a potential Game 7, the Astros can go with Lance McCullers Jr. if they are confident his pitch-tipping issue is ironed out. However, manager Dusty Baker also told reporters Javier could also potentially go two-to-three innings on short rest.

After that, they have a bullpen that's been absolutely elite all postseason and features a pair of bulk-inning options in Urquidy and Garcia.

Offensively, things are also looking up for the Astros after they bounced back from Tuesday night's shutout.

The team's 10 hits came from eight different players, and while they didn't homer, their ability to string together hits during their five-run fifth inning is perhaps more impressive.

Alvarez hit a single and drove the ball the other way with authority more than once, Altuve is showing signs of life with five hits now in the series, and both Jeremy Peña and Gurriel had two-hit games on Wednesday.

At this point, it goes without saying that the momentum has clearly shifted back to the Houston dugout, and the betting odds support that idea:

Current odds to win the World Series at @betmgm:

Phillies: +155
Astros: -200

Momentum is real.

— Darren Rovell (@darrenrovell) November 3, 2022

It feels like Game 5 is now a must-win for the Phillies before the series shifts back to Houston, and the Astros will be handing the ball to their ace with a chip on his shoulder.

This is exactly how Houston would have drawn it up, given the chance.

Ronda Rousey has been such a curious case in 2022. The former UFC women's bantamweight champion made her surprise return to pro wrestling in January and won the women’s Royal Rumble match.

One would assume that her long-awaited reemergence would have made a more significant impact, but she has had some noticeable struggles.

Fan interest in The Baddest Woman on the Planet has diminished following her hiatus. However, she’s still one of the most recognizable stars on the roster. She still has enough star power to garner mainstream attention, and Fox sees her as an asset on SmackDown.

Unfortunately, WWE hasn’t been able to utilize her as well as it did during her rookie year.

A few questionable creative decisions hampered her buzz, forcing a bit of course correction over the summer. Now, the company will have to figure out how to make better use of her in 2023.

Although she has had some setbacks, that won’t be too difficult of a task. The new regime already seems to have a better handle on her character.

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An Ideal WrestleMania Opponent

If everything goes as planned, it seems Rousey already has an opponent lined up for WrestleMania 39.

In February, Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter reported that WWE wants "Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson vs. Roman Reigns and Ronda Rousey vs. Becky Lynch as its two big showcase matches."

Although Triple H has taken over as head of creative since then, one would have to assume the marquee match is still on the table. Lynch was present at the launch party for The Show of Shows at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, and she has expressed interest in the matchup several times.

The Man even threw a jab at her famous rival during a recent appearance on the Out of Character podcast when asked about it. "Maybe if she starts training a little bit more," she said. "Maybe if she gets a little better."

The former Raw women’s champion is currently sidelined with a shoulder injury, but WWE hopes she will be back by the end of the year. The Man remains one of its top stars and a proven commodity at The Showcase of Immortals.

So, her eventual clash with Rousey is the biggest women’s match available for the company’s return to Hollywood. Even more, their heated rivalry would provide an excellent story next year.

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Unfinished Business with Becky Lynch

Rousey vs. Lynch was the hottest story heading into WrestleMania 35. The Man’s iconic promo from the episode of Raw after her Royal Rumble win will go down as a career highlight.

It was a picture-perfect payoff to her star-making moment during the build to Survivor Series 2018 and the champion vs. champion match that never happened. Then, WWE overcomplicated the storyline and added Charlotte Flair, robbing fans of a highly anticipated one-on-one match.

At The Show of Shows, The Man handed The Baddest Woman on the Planet her first loss in the Winner Takes All Triple Threat match. However, Rousey injured her hand during the main event, and the finish left the door open for an inevitable rematch.

So much so that most viewers expected the 35-year-old to challenge for the Raw Women’s Championship in April. Instead, she teased an attempt on Jan. 31 before setting her sights on Flair.

This may have disappointed some fans, but that was right the call because the electricity from their first confrontation wasn't there anymore. In fact, keeping them apart for most of 2022 may have been a stroke of genius.

Lynch had abandoned The Man persona and was still in the middle of an ongoing feud with Bianca Belair. The development of their year-long story arc and their match from Night 1 of WrestleMania 38 was much better than a rematch with Rousey could have hoped to be right now.

It makes much more sense to allow both competitors to grow closer to the characters they were three years ago first. The fans are dying to cheer for The Man again and the natural progression from Big Time Becks will make her return more rewarding.

More importantly, the SmackDown women’s division desperately needs another star like The Man. She’s more synonymous with the blue brand because that’s where the persona originated. It’s also where she won her first singles title as The Irish Lass Kicker, so it feels right for her to go back to her roots.

Meanwhile, the awaiting champion is much better as an antagonist as opposed to an uninspiring babyface. Her recent feud with Liv Morgan was a much-needed change of direction.

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The Verdict

We’re buying Rousey as the SmackDown women’s champion on the road to WrestleMania. WWE doesn’t really sell the event on matchups anymore, but she’s the high-profile star it needs to appear on mainstream outlets for a major show in Hollywood.

Her match with Lynch will likely headline a night at Sofi Stadium. Admittedly, Los Angeles provides a better stage for their showdown than Dallas. Also, swapping character dynamics and generating buzz for most of 2022 was a smart way to build their rematch.

Reigniting their feud is also the shot in the arm the SmackDown women’s division needs right now. The brand has lost many of its stars such as Sasha Banks, Naomi, and Flair, so this will be the perfect way to revitalize it next year.

No matter how you feel about the relationship between WWE and the Saudi Arabian government, the Crown Jewel pay-per-view is always a spectacle that fans need to witness.

With a card full of marquee matches and several major championships on the line, the WWE Universe is ready to witness the culmination of storylines and the continuation of angles sure to carry over into Survivor Series and beyond.

Here are the championships most likely to change hands at Crown Jewel 2022.

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Raw Women's Championship

When Bayley challenges Bianca Belair for the Raw Women’s Championship in a Last Woman Standing match, the stage will be set perfectly for the title to change hands.

After losing at Extreme Rules, it's time for the challenger to walk away with the gold.

With Dakota Kai and Iyo Sky losing the tag team titles on Monday night, Damage CTRL need more credibility and Bayley stealing the championship would give the stable the power it needs to be respected by the WWE Universe.

Kai and Sky will be agitated by their loss on Raw, setting them up to interfere with ferocity at Crown Jewel, especially considering the fact that the match has no disqualifications.

Even if Belair brings backup, the heels are likely going to be too much for the champion to defend successfully.

Not only should the match be an excellent showcase of how great women’s wrestling can be, but the title change and a post-match beatdown could also be the impetus for the return of Becky Lynch.

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Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championship

As the undisputed WWE tag team champions, Jey and Jimmy Uso have held the titles since defeating RK-Bro in a unification match in May. Their run with the gold has been memorable, but losing the titles now will be important to the Bloodline storyline.

While there have been tag teams in the past who could have conceivably won, The Brawling Brutes—Ridge Holland and Butch—have been putting on top-tier matches and are ready for a major push.

The Bloodline have dominated the WWE landscape for well over a year, but the cracks have started to show. With issues surrounding Jey Uso and his relationships with Roman Reigns and Sami Zayn, a loss in a championship bout would cause an even deeper rift in the stable.

In addition, Jey could accidentally cost The Usos the win, with Jimmy Uso understanding the situation and The Tribal Chief continuing to lose his control.

In the ensuing weeks, Reigns would take The Master Strategist's side more often, which would ultimately lead to the downfall of The Bloodline.

Eventually, Zayn should be revealed as the mastermind behind the stable’s implosion.

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