Astros’ Pitcher Cristian Javier Gives Glory to God After Historic No-Hitter

Published: November 8, 2022

Astros’ Pitcher Cristian Javier Gives Glory to God After Historic No-Hitter

By Movieguide® Staff

The Houston Astros won 2022 MLB World Series after defeating the Philadelphia Phillies in Game 6, 4-1, on Nov. 5.

After a long regular season battle to the playoffs, and a six-game series against the Phillies, perhaps the most impressive game came in Game 4, when Christian Javier threw 6 no-hit innings for the Astros.

Javier pitched the first six innings of the game, and the Astros kept up their hot streak from the mound, becoming only the second team in World Series history to throw a no-hitter.

After the historic performance, Javier gave glory to God.

“I just came out holding onto God, trying to be positive, trying to attack the strike zone,” Javier told ESPN reporters after the game. “It’s funny, my parents told me [last night] I was going to throw a no-hitter, and thanks to God I was able to accomplish that.”

“With God helping us, we can do it,” Javier added.

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

“When [my parents] told me that, obviously I got a lot more motivated,” he continued. “I kept my faith in God and obviously I knew I had a big commitment today being down 2-1 in the series. And obviously with my parents being here, I just tried to give my best, give my family the best that I could. And obviously having my dad here as well so he could enjoy the success that I’ve had, so he can come here and enjoy the game as well.”

The no-hitter became the turning point for the Astros, who won the next two games to win the World Series.

“We just stayed focused, just came out motivated after yesterday’s loss,” Javier said after Game 4 on Nov. 1. “We had positive energy in the clubhouse. We told ourselves that we would come in today to win. Coming into the ballpark today, we studied the other team, had a lot of adrenaline and stayed positive and just had a lot of desire to win.”

“I really don’t think I could change my plan of attack,” he said. “I think I just needed to stay positive. I thought that my fastball today was really good and definitely I was able to get a lot of swings and misses.”

Javier entered the league in 2020, but was demoted to the Astros’ alternate training site in his rookie season.

Despite this setback, Javier trusted that God still had a plan for him in the MLB.

“I said, ‘God, it’s Your honor and will. You put each pitcher in each spot. You’re sending me to Corpus because it’s Your will and honor.’ Then there I worked on my slider to throw it more consistently,” he said.