Astros' Cristian Javier Used Twins Fans Counting Pitch Clock 'in My Favor' in Game 3

Minnesota Twins' fans attempted to rattle Houston Astros starting pitcher Cristian Javier by counting down the pitch clock during Tuesday's Game 3 matchup in the ALDS.

Spoiler alert—it didn't work.

"I used it in my favor," Javier told reporters after giving up just one hit and no runs in five innings of work during Houston's 9-1 win. "At that point, I stopped paying attention to the clock because they were counting and just paid attention to the catcher."

The 26-year-old wasn't perfect, walking five batters, though he also struck out nine and threw 87 pitches before the Astros turned to the bullpen after he escaped a bases-loaded jam in the fifth.

His teammates weren't surprised that Javier wasn't intimidated by the Minnesota crowd.

"I think the only way you can rattle him is if you punch him," catcher Martin Maldonado told reporters. "I spent time with him off the field, and that's him. Same thing you guys see on the mound."

Javier is hardly a stranger to the postseason. He's now pitched for the Astros across four playoffs, both as a reliever in 2020 and 2021 and as a starter last year. He was brilliant in the team's run to a title in 2022, making three appearances (two starts) with two wins, a 0.71 ERA, a 0.55 WHIP and 16 strikeouts across 12.2 innings.

He stopped a hot Philadelphia Phillies lineup in its tracks during a Game 4 win in the World Series, striking out nine batters in six innings without giving up a single hit. That performance silenced a rowdy Citizens Bank Park, where the Phillies had been 5-0 in last year's playoffs up until that point.

So no, he wasn't likely to be rattled by Minnesota's fans. His composure, a filthy slider and some unwieldy shadows made it a rough afternoon for the Twins.

"It was a difficult day to hit," Twins manager Rocco Baldelli told reporters. "So them jumping out early was very, very important. Whichever team did that was going to definitely be in the driver's seat because the game times that we have right now and our ballpark make it very difficult to see the ball."

It's hard enough to hit Javier when your vision isn't impaired. On Tuesday the Twins didn't have much of a chance, much as their fans tried to give them an edge.