The Houston Astros made a bold statement when Cristian Javier threw six hitless innings and three other pitchers completed a combined no-hitter over the Philadelphia Phillies in Game 4 of the World Series.

The Astros earned a 5-0 victory over the Phillies and tied the series at 2-2, ensuring that the championship will be decided in Houston over the weekend. The dynamic Houston pitching staff rebounded from a troubling outing in Game 3 when they allowed 5 Philadelphia home runs in a 7-0 Houston victory.

In addition to showing the ability to bounce back after a poor effort, the Astros tied a World Series record by pitching 11 consecutive hitless innings. The feat was last accomplished by the 1939 New York Yankees in their four-game sweep of the Cincinnati Reds.

While not as famous as their 1927 of 1961 counterparts, the 1939 Yankees can lay claim to having one of the greatest teams in Major League Baseball history. In addition to their one-sided triumph over the Reds, the Bronx Bombers had a 106-45-1 record, and outscored opponents by 411 runs or an average of 2.70 runs per game.

Five of their starters batted .300 or better, and the legendary Joe DiMaggio had perhaps the best season of his career with a .381/.448/.671 slash line along with 30 home runs and 126 RBI.

The Astros will attempt to set the record for consecutive hitless innings in Game 5 when they send scheduled start Justin Verlander to the mound against the Phillies.

Cristian Javier has quietly become the ace of the Astros as he held batters to an average of .170 during the regular season and has pitched 5 or more shutout innings while allowing 2 or fewer hits in each of his last 6 starts.