Cristian Javier gave the Astros exactly the kind of start they’ve been waiting for in the final stretch of the season, and Houston turned it into a 3-1 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Javier worked five innings and gave up just one hit and one run while piling up eight strikeouts against three walks. The lone damage came on a high cutter that Gabriel Moreno lifted for a solo homer in the top of the fourth.
It was a sharp, eye-catching outing by almost any measure. Javier’s fastball averaged 93.9 mph, the highest number he has posted in any start this season, and he generated 19 swings and misses, the most of his career. Arizona missed on 19 of its 38 swings, good for a 50% Whiff%.
The right-hander also kept the ball from being hit hard, with the Diamondbacks finishing with an average exit velocity of just 85.9 mph. His fastball and sweeper did the heavy lifting, producing 34% and 35% Whiff%, respectively, while his sweeper and changeup helped him get hitters to chase. Arizona went 0-for-6 and missed on seven of 15 swings against him on Friday night.
There was another marker that showed how much this start stood out: Javier posted a Game Score of 66, his first above 50 in his ninth start of the season. It also fit into a very small bucket of dominant outings in his career.
This was only the second time he has had at least eight strikeouts while allowing one hit and one run, matching what he did on July 1, 2022 against the Angels. It was also only the second start of his career with at least eight strikeouts against a minimum of 19 batters faced, a feat he first reached on July 13, 2022.
The fastball has been a problem area for Javier this season, with opponents pounding his four-seamer to a .338 batting average and .538 slugging percentage. But Friday was another sign that pitch is trending in the right direction. Over his last three outings, he has held opponents to a .200 average (5-for-25) with nine strikeouts and just one home run allowed.
He’s had to lean on a different mix, too. Javier has stopped throwing his slider and knuckle curve, so the sweeper, cutter and changeup now have to work in tandem with the four-seam fastball.
Even with a 5.98 ERA hanging over his season, the last three starts have looked much better, with Javier down to a 4.73 ERA over that span. He has 20 strikeouts in 13 1/3 innings and only five walks in those outings.
For Houston, the hope is simple: keep this version of Javier rolling. The Astros need these adjustments to stick, and this start offered a strong glimpse of what that could mean.
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