What is a no hitter in baseball? How did Houston Astros make history vs Philadelphia Phillies in World Series

The Houston Astros wrote their name into the baseball history books by completing a combined no-hitter in the World Series.

The Astros put in an incredible performance and recorded a comprehensive 5-0 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies. The result allowed them to draw level in the seven-game series at 2-2.

The performance will live long in the memory for fans of the Houston Astros, but what is the meaning of a no-hitter in baseball and has it ever been achieved before in the World Series?

What is the World Series?

The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball (MLB) which concludes the MLB postseason. First played in 1903, the World Series championship is viewed as baseball’s showcase event and it is a contest between the champions of baseball’s National League and American League.

The series is decided through a best of seven games format and the winner of the contest is awarded the Commissioner’s Trophy. Winning the World Series is viewed as the pinnacle achievement within the sport of baseball and the winning team is traditionally invited to the White House to meet the President of the United States.

What is a combined no-hitter in baseball?

A no-hitter in baseball is defined as a game where no member of the opposing team gets on base as a result of hitting a pitch.

A combined no hitter occurs when an individual pitcher prevents the opposition from making a hit. The sport has seen 19 in major league baseball history but this is the first to occur in the league’s franchised event since Don Larson in 1956.

What happened in the game between the Houston Astros and Philadelphia Phillies?

The Astros recorded a sensational 5-0 victory over the Phillies in game 4 of the World Series.

Christian Javier was in sensational form and dominated the Phillies lineup over six innings. In doing so he made history and became just the second player to pitch for six or more innings without conceding a single hit.

After the game Astros catcher Christian Vazquez praised his team mates display and claimed it was the “best fastball” that he had ever seen. Vasquez said: “ You can call it whoever is in the batter’s box and it’s going to be awesome. It’s going to be effective and it’s going to do the job.”

Javier is viewed as one of the most talented players in the sport at the moment and his manager Dusty Baker claims the 25-year-old has a huge future ahead of him. Baker said: “The sky is the limit for that young man.”

Which team has won the most World Series titles?

The Astros are chasing their second ever World Series title and last won the competition in 2017. The Phillies are aiming to achieve their third World Series victory - their previous two titles came in 1980 and 2008.

The most successful team in World Series history is the New York Yankees. The Yankees have appeared in the World Series Championship on a record 40 occasions and one the title 27 times in their history.