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.

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.

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.

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:

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.

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.

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:

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.