Tag Archives: Houston Astros

Three Strikes, You’re Out!: How Astros Pitching Made History in June

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After making their way to the World Series last season, the Houston Astros are already off to an impressive start this season. They currently have a healthy lead and hold the first place spot in the AL West division. This is significantly due to impressive starting and relief pitching.

Astros vs. Rangers: June 15th, 2022

During an away game against state rivals the Texas Rangers, starting pitcher for the Astros Luis Garcia was off to a great start with his team leading 6-1 in the first inning. The real excitement though, came in the second inning when Garcia flawlessly struck out all three batters he faced in exactly nine pitches, all of which were strikes. By throwing the minimum nine strikes to record all three outs, he completed a phenomenon more rare than a no-hitter: an immaculate inning.

Starting Pitcher Luis Garcia threw nine pitches for strikes to strikeout Rangers hitters Nathaniel Lowe, Ezequiel Duran and Brad Miller in order.

To put things into perspective, while the last time the Astros franchise recorded such feat was only in 2019, before that it had been fifteen years since any Astros pitcher had an immaculate inning. So imagine baseball fans’ shock when just five innings later, the team achieved something never done before.

When Garcia’s night was done, bullpen pitcher Phil Maton came in to pitch one inning, the seventh inning. Just when you thought something so rare couldn’t possibly occur twice in one game, he proved otherwise. Once again, in another phenomenal outing, an Astros pitcher struck out each three hitters in a total of nine strikes, imprinting yet another immaculate inning into Astros history. To make matters more spectacular, it was the same three hitters Garcia had pitched his immaculate inning against earlier that same day.

This video shows both immaculate innings side by side.

Not only did baseball fans in attendance and those watching at home witness Astros history, but Major League Baseball history. This was the first time two pitchers had ever recorded two immaculate innings in the same game, much less two pitchers on one team against the same three batters.

Astros pitchers Phil Maton and Luis Garcia pose for a postgame picture with catcher Martín Maldonado, who caught both pitcher’s immaculate innings.

Following the game, when asked about his performance, Garcia told reporters “It feels so good, because it’s history…I’m so happy for me and for Phil.” After completing the second immaculate inning of the day Maton commented: “It’s super cool…It’s not something you go out here every day and obviously strive to do. Obviously, you’re trying to strike out every hitter you face. Still kind of trying to wrap my head around it. Cool experience.”

Relief pitcher Phil Maton cracked a smile as he accepted high-fives from his teammates after pitching the second immaculate inning of the day, to the same three hitters.

Here are some remarkable statistics that show just how rare immaculate innings are:

Though immaculate innings are more rare than no-hitters, we can now add both to the list of accomplishments by the Astros pitching staff this season in the month of June.

Astros vs. Yankees: June 25th, 2022

Just ten days later, in Yankees Stadium, the Astros pitching staff pitched a combined no-hitter against one of the hottest teams in baseball so far this season. Previously a bullpen pitcher, Cristian Javier now acting as a pitcher in the Astros’ starting rotation dominated through seven innings of work with a career-high 13 strikeouts. In his postgame interview, through an interpreter, the Dominican pitcher stated “I feel really happy, really proud right now for this moment that God has given me.”

Starting pitcher Cristian Javier threw a career-high 115 pitches and 13 strikeouts in seven innings in the Astros’ combined no-hitter.

Following Javier, in a tough outing that included two walks, bullpen pitcher Hector Neris worked through some traffic on the bases to record a clean eighth inning with two flyouts and one forceout for all three outs. The Astros were then just three outs away from a combined no-hitter.

Closing pitcher Ryan Pressly came into the ninth inning in an attempt to keep the no-hit bid alive. After he had a rough outing against this team just two days earlier, resulting in an Astros loss, the pressure was on. This time though, Pressly recorded all three outs without allowing a hit, securing the 3-0 win for the Astros and completing the combined no-hitter. It’s no secret that the New York Yankees are the Houston Astros’ biggest rivals, dating back to 2017 when the Astros beat the Yankees in the ALCS to move on to the World Series. At the completion of the game, the Astros closer told reporters “…to do it in New York, it’s the best feeling in the world.”

Ryan Pressly records the last out and completes the combined no-hitter against the Yankees.

This is the second time the Astros have no-hit the Yankees in the Yankees’ home stadium, and the first to happen in the new Yankees Stadium built in 2009. They are the only team to have no-hit the Yankees since 1958, with the first coming on June 11th, 2003. Both have been combined no hitters. This is the 14th no-hitter in team history for the Astros.

Astros pitchers pose with catcher Martín Maldonado after completing a combined no-hitter vs. the Yankees at Yankees Stadium.

There is no denying the talent of this team’s offense, but they have shown why pitchers are so important to the game of baseball. Astros catcher Martín Maldonado, who has caught two immaculate innings and a combined no-hitter all in the month of June, has played an important role on this team with his pitch calling and he has significantly contributed to the confidence and efficiency of these Astros pitchers. Maldonado told reporters “I take a lot of pride behind the plate.” On being a part of both major accomplishments this month Maldonado stated, “Every time you make history is amazing…Those are memories that are going to last [a] long [time].”


It seems like the Astros are heating up this June! This is why watching the sport of baseball is so thrilling, it’s unpredictable and you never know when you will witness history.

A Year In Review: Celebrating 2 Years of ‘Faith It ’til You Make It’

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Today marks exactly two years since I posted my very first article to this blog site, two years of pursuing just what I love to do: write. Every year in my first blog post of the year I recap all that has happened in my life in the past twelve months and I share all that I wish to manifest for myself.

part of the caption I wrote a year ago today.

It’s safe to say 2021 did not go easy on us. This year has been a rollercoaster of challenges, yet so full of opportunity.

I did it!

Shortly after kicking off the new year, I received my freelance writing diploma. When I decided all those years ago to forgo traditional college and pursue my passion, I knew I was taking the unconventional route. But, I knew in my heart I was making the right decision for me. Just fifteen months after starting the online program, I completed it. It felt amazing to have some physical form of validation that my dream of being a writer could be a reality. Little did I know, a big storm was coming…literally.

The view from my apartment of the snow-covered ground on the morning of February 15th, 2021. See article: https://faith-it-til-you-make-it.com/2021/02/28/snow-storm-in-the-south/

In February, my state of Texas was in for a big shock when we were hit by a snow storm. My city almost never sees snow so to experience a snowfall of this magnitude was, in part, exciting. What we did not expect was for homes state-wide to lose power for multiple days during the dead of winter, my own home included. We were lucky that we were supplied with all necessities to get through the cold, but for other families many tragedies and financial issues resulted from the prolonged power outage.

See article: https://faith-it-til-you-make-it.com/2021/05/10/turning-twenty/

May was personally one of the greatest month’s of this year. I turned twenty years old on the third of May, and even got a birthday wish from an actress who starred in Selena: The Netflix Series. Also during this month, I posted to my blog the first real interview that I had conducted. A month earlier I had virtually met and conversed with two amazing women with disabilities and got to learn and write about their lives for my blog. This was the greatest opportunity I have gotten in my writing career so far and it garnered me the most exposure to eager readers I’ve ever had this year.

See article: https://faith-it-til-you-make-it.com/2021/05/20/in-conversation-with-shannon-dugdale-and-renee-dollenmayer-living-boundlessly/

Just two months later, I was given another great writing opportunity in which I shared Tammy Le’s story to my blog. When I watched the viral video that showed her heartbreaking reaction to her damaged wheelchair that had been mishandled by airline workers, I felt her pain. I wanted to get her story out so, in a spur of the moment decision, I took a chance and personally reached out to her. She allowed me to conduct my second true interview. That article also reached a wide audience and I will always be grateful to Tammy for allowing me to write for her.

See article: https://faith-it-til-you-make-it.com/2021/07/31/flight-risk-why-we-should-care-about-airlines-mishandling-wheelchairs/

2021 was the year that myself and many of my loved ones contracted Covid. It was in no way easy, but we are so lucky to have overcome the virus. In lighter news, the baby cousin I introduced on my blog last year turned one!

My adorable baby cousin Emily turned one in September!

Also, we learned that she will be a big sister to a little brother coming this Spring!

In late October, we found out the gender with cupcakes! It’s a boy!
Another cousin is being added to the crew!

This year came with many surprises, both good and bad, but that’s all part of growth. Still, there’s always things in life that remain constant no matter what and for me, that is my friendships. In the spirit of keeping my favorite tradition alive, I spent the eighth New Year’s in a row with my best friend!

Eighth new year’s spent together & counting! Here’s to 2022!

Many of the goals I vowed to manifest for myself and for this blog a year ago have already come true. I never expected to get the opportunities that I have so early in my writing career, but it showed me the true power in manifesting what you want for your life. On the other hand, I learned the importance of patience. You can speak your wishes into existence, but just because they don’t all happen immediately doesn’t mean they never will. Whenever I felt discouraged or self-doubt in my capabilities, I had to remember that big opportunities will come to me when they are meant to.

I find that ever since changing my upload schedule to be on a monthly basis, I am more proud of the work that I am putting out. Just as I had hoped, this year I was able to write about a variety of topics from fashion to sports, free-writes that just might be my favorite, and of course disability. In 2022 I hope to challenge myself to work beyond my niche and receive more opportunities in other areas that interest me. A goal of mine still is to reach a larger following someday and while I got a taste of that this year, I will keep speaking it into existence until I have a consistent following on this blog. Also, a dream of mine that I hope will come to fruition in the near future is to write for and see my name recognized under articles for various magazine companies. I feel that the only way I can eventually reach a wider audience is to get my name out there. In honor of the new year and another year writing for this blog site, I’d like to present to you my new custom-made logo!

Thank you to my cousin Brandon for gifting me my custom logo!

If you have been following me on this journey of creative bliss thus far, thank you for sticking with me and I hope you only continue to enjoy my writing. Nothing makes me happier than knowing my writing engages readers. Moving forward, the possibilities of what I could write about on this blog are endless and I am eager for another year on ‘Faith It ’til You Make It’.