Three Astros Pitchers Combine to No-Hit the Yankees

It took three pitchers, 150 pitches and 15 strikeouts, but the Houston Astros combined for a no-hitter against the Yankees on Saturday at Yankee Stadium, beating the best team in baseball, 3-0.

Cristian Javier got things started for Houston, dominating the Yankees for seven innings. He struck out 13 batters and his only blemishes were a first inning walk and a batter reaching first base on an error in the seventh. But with Javier at 115 pitches, Manager Dusty Baker pulled his starter in favor of right-hander Héctor Neris.

Neris and Ryan Pressly finished the job, tossing two more no-hit innings while allowing two base runners on walks. The scene was reminiscent of another combined no-hitter, when six Astros pitchers worked together to no-hit the Yankees on June 11, 2003. That game was also at Yankee Stadium.

The two combo efforts by the Astros — separated by slightly more than 19 years — are the only no-hitters against the Yankees since Hoyt Wilhelm threw one against them as a member of the Baltimore Orioles on Sept. 20, 1958.

Saturday’s no-hitter was the third overall this season — the Mets had a combined no-hitter on April 29 and Reid Detmers of the Angels threw one by himself on May 10 — and it was only the seventh time that the Yankees have gone without a hit in 120 seasons and more than 18,500 games.

Javier, 25, is off to a strong start in his third season. With Saturday’s win he improved to 5-3 and lowered his E.R.A. to 2.73. Despite not being able to finish the no-hitter on his own, he set career highs in pitches and strikeouts, while tying his career high in innings pitched.

The effort clearly wore on him, though, as he was exhausted by the time the seventh inning was done. Neris, 33, was the first arm out of the bullpen and he allowed a pair of walks. But finished his inning strong by getting Aaron Judge, a leading candidate for this year’s A.L. Most Valuable Player Award, to line out to short.

Pressly, 33, who had allowed a game-tying three-run homer to Aaron Hicks in a 7-6 loss on Thursday, was electric in the ninth. He struck out the first two batters he faced — Anthony Rizzo and Josh Donaldson — and got Giancarlo Stanton to ground out to third to end the game.

The Astros’ combined brilliance wasted a strong effort by Gerrit Cole, the ace of the Yankees staff, who allowed four hits and one run in seven innings, striking out eight.