Watch: Astros SP Cristian Javier has historic streak snapped in excruciating fashion
Houston Astros starting pitcher Cristian Javier was climbing within striking distance of a historic MLB postseason mark but had his hopes dashed in the most excruciating way possible.
With two outs in the bottom of the fifth of Game 3 of the ALCS, Javier allowed a two-run home run to Texas Rangers third baseman Josh Jung, snapping a scoreless streak of 20.1 playoff innings as a starter to begin his postseason career. According to Sarah Langs of MLB.com, only Hall of Famer Christy Mathewson (28 innings) had a longer streak to start their career, doing so from 1905 to 1911.
Javier made 12 relief appearances in the playoffs before ever making a start, going 2-1 with a hold and a 3.38 ERA in 21.1 innings pitched. Ahead of Game 3, Javier had made three starts (3-0), allowing no runs and only two hits while striking out 23 over 16.1 innings.
As for Jung, the rookie continues to play well while making a little history himself. Jung's long ball helped him become the first rookie in Rangers franchise history to hit multiple home runs in the postseason.
More must-reads: