Houston Astros: Rookie phenom Cristian Javier is primed for a showdown

Houston Astros pitcher Cristian Javier has valiantly catapulted his way into the starting rotation with his strong performance. What’s up next? Look.

The Houston Astros have dropped four straight and are staring in the face of a series sweep by the Oakland Athletics in their three-game set this weekend in RingCentral Coliseum — or whatever they want to call it these days — dropping them to a 6-8 record.

The lack of experienced pitching plus meager hitting over the past few games has equated the problem that they’re seeing in front of them. They’ll be able to bounce back but they can skid too far or else the proverbial abyss that they’re staring downward at could be one that they could fall in.

But not this team, not now, not ever, they’re too talented and resilient to let that happen to them. It’s going to take a concerted effort but they’ll get it together. There’s a lot on their minds with following the safety protocols in place just to keep working, trying to compete plus the onslaught of disdain for the legitimacy of their 2017 World Series title.

With Jose Altuve, George Springer, Carlos Correa, Alex Bregman and Michael Brantley at the ready to crush it, they’ve got plenty of firepower to weather the storm of besmirching their reputation.

That topic is certainly up for debate as I honestly think that the Houston Astros have been unfairly and single-handily been driven through the mud when the hands of their AL counterparts out East don’t have such clean hands as well.

Nonetheless, those are times that we’re living in and they excel regardless of the circumstances. There’s many that want the Houston Astros to fail but I don’t think they have relenting notion in their bodies, with them leaving it all on the field after each game.

Anyway, now that you know what’s at stake for the Houston Astros, there’s something peculiar brewing in the rotation.

That is one Cristian Javier, a rookie that has embraced his role and is catapulting himself into the rotation with some phenom flair to accompany it.

He has emerged from the tropical, cobblestone streets of Santo Domingo, D.R. to being signed as

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an undrafted free agent in 2015 to now being a starter in the rotation that can be counted on.

He’s obviously come a long way and it appears that everything that he’s worked for as he’s risen through the Houston Astros’ organization, hasn’t been taken for granted and he’s making the most of his opportunity which is likely going to land him a permanent spot.

Through three games — two starts — Javier has 11 punch-outs, two earned runs, two walks, seven hits accompanied with a terrific 1.42 ERA and a blistering 0.71 WHIP.

He looks so experienced out there on the mound — dealing as if he’s been in the majors for years and with all of the bad news coming out on the pitching front, he’s one of the shinier rays of light that refuses to be extinguished.

Javier’s curveball and slider are his most powerful weapons but his four-seam fastball isn’t necessarily a tool in the box to shun either.

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He’ll be counted on today to help the Houston Astros salvage a series that has gone off the rails a bit and there’s no question that he won’t do everything he can to help his team win.

Who knows what the future will bring with Javier but it’s been damn fun to watch this guy do work on the bump.

Until then — let’s keep it going Houston Astros!

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