Tag Archives: Houston

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.

Manifestation Magic: Believe It to See It

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This article is a collaboration with Erica Adugwo, my friend and fellow Houstonian who is a certified transformational life and leadership coach. To differentiate our insights, each section includes the initial of the respective contributor.

If you’ve been following my blog for some time, then you know about my fascination with manifestation. This is the idea that we have the power to transform our thoughts into reality, positively and even negatively. I live by this philosophy, which motivates me to approach each day with optimism. I think that there is meaning in everything, so when I stumbled upon quotes that share a common message I knew it was no coincidence. With the help of words from various philosophers and writers, we will be discussing the power of believing. — F

The concept for this article came when I found the first quote by author Neville Goddard. I had been feeling discouraged due to not yet having reached my goals as far as views on this blog, and his words made me come to a realization. I cannot expect something to come to fruition simply because I want it. I have to believe in my potential and the possibility of what’s meant for me. Author Jack Canfield’s quote from Rhonda Byrne’s novel The Secret, offered me a different perspective. I can manifest anything I want, only if I believe. That is why I will continue to approach life with a positive attitude. I no longer define my blog’s success in numbers because I have the belief that the best is yet to come. — F

I believe in a benevolent Universe. I am inspired to always see the good, even in the bad. This does not mean I won’t experience hard times, but I know that everything ends up working out for my own good. It was my near-death experience that made me realize we are always being guided in the right direction to our destiny. As Goddard explained, we attract what we believe to be true, so if I believe in a benevolent Universe, then I can experience a life where despite trials and difficulties, a sense of joy, peace and fulfillment can still be found. Just as Canfield stated, we first have to decide what we want for ourselves. I believed I deserved to be healthy and that it was possible for me. If I could have it, then it is possible for another. Whatever it is, you must believe. — E

Belief is a mindset, a state of acceptance. Gandhi describes how just the mere belief that you can achieve something will give you the ability to do so. When you learn to acknowledge your own capabilities, you can accomplish anything you set your heart on; the very title of my blog supports this philosophy. To “Faith It ‘til You Make It” is to believe in one’s self, to carry confidence and optimism enough to reach your own idea of success. The effectiveness of both manifesting and praying depends on one key element: intention. In manifesting you might create affirmations, or encouraging statements, to repeat to one’s self that will help you focus on your desired outcome. Praying should be perpetual, with strong conviction and a clear purpose. You must believe that what’s meant for you is waiting for you because the Universe holds our fate. You must believe that in God’s time, prayers will be answered. It’s not as simple as asking for and immediately obtaining whatever you want. However you seek guidance, you can not expect results without patience, sustained faith, and sincere intentions. — F

Belief is powerful, when you believe in the power of your word and in God’s word anything is possible. I have learned that in the process of holding on to certain beliefs I might make mistakes, but if my beliefs match my everyday actions and my spiritual practice, then I am being congruent. If I believe that every action I take no matter how small will lead me to something bigger than myself, then I am on the right path. Say what you believe and believe what you say. Let your words and your actions align, and when you speak something into existence eventually it will take form as your reality. If someone says “I am poor, sick, weak”, their situation will remain so because our thoughts control our feelings and experiences. We must eliminate limiting beliefs that hinder our perception of the world around us. A higher sense of truth will transform into a greater reality, the reality you accept is what will manifest. — E

When we make the choice to believe something, we can either feel uplifted and inspired, or drained and disempowered. So the question we must ask ourselves is, “What do I choose to believe about myself, my neighbors, and the world in general?”. A belief is the individual truth of man. We can not change what may happen to us, but we can choose our attitude towards any given circumstance. This idea was originally provided by Viktor Frankel, whose exact point I brought up two years ago in my very first blog post. There is no denying the simple truth that our thoughts have an impact on our experiences, this is the Law of Attraction. So while manifestation is highly disregarded as nothing more than a fad, I stand firm in my belief of its magic. The wonderful things in life are ever-present, you just have to believe it to see it. — E & F

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I have been intrigued by philosophy for many years now, so getting to discuss manifestation was exciting! As a life coach, Erica posts analyses on life and mentality as well as motivational quotes on her social media. One day I had stumbled upon her Instagram page and one of her posts read “Faith it until you make it”. This was just months after I had started this blog site, and I let her know this. Soon after I learned that we are both from Houston! Her account is one of my favorite pages to find positivity and words of encouragement. If you want to check out her content yourself, visit her Instagram @/erica.k.inc or Twitter @/KellechieSpeaks. Thanks again to Erica for providing her insights for my blog!