NEW YORK -- After they were beaten by All-Star starters Justin Verlander and Framber Valdez in the first two games of the American League Championship Series in Houston, the Yankees’ mound opposition in Saturday’s Game 3 at Yankee Stadium isn’t any less challenging.

Astros manager Dusty Baker said Friday the club will throw right-hander Cristian Javier against the Yankees, who will counter with ace Gerrit Cole. The Astros lead the best-of-seven series, 2-0, and are unbeaten in the postseason (5-0), thanks in part to a deep pitching staff that has struck out 69 batters in 54 postseason innings and has a 1.83 ERA.

The Yankees remember Javier all too well. He struck out 13 batters in seven no-hit innings on June 25 at Yankee Stadium, teaming with Héctor Neris and Ryan Pressly to throw a combined no-hitter in the Bronx. Javier held New York to one run and two hits across five innings in his July 21 start in Houston. Against the Bronx Bombers this year, he’s struck out 16 and allowed one run and two hits in 12 innings.

“To me, I think this is just going to be another game,” Javier said. “Just try to go out there, have some fun, just attack the strike zone with all my pitches and just try to get the best results possible.”

In addition to Javier's success against the Yankees, Baker will give the ball to the 25-year-old righty in Game 3 because veteran right-hander Lance McCullers Jr. needed another day of rest after banging his elbow on a champagne bottle during the celebration after the Astros clinched the AL Division Series in Seattle on Saturday. McCullers will start in Game 4 on Sunday.

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“I mean, he threw the ball well down the stretch, period,” Baker said of Javier.

Javier has appeared in one game this postseason, throwing one inning in relief in Game 1 of the ALDS vs. Seattle. Game 3 will be his first start since throwing six scoreless innings against the Rays on Oct. 1, capping a regular season in which he went 11-9 with a 2.54 ERA and 11.7 strikeouts per nine innings.

If he can turn in another stellar outing against the Yankees, he could have the Astros within a game of reaching their fourth World Series in the last six years.

“I really don't feel pressure at all,” Javier said. “I faced them before in the regular season, haven't faced them in the postseason. But I think I'm going to try to go out there, have some fun and just try to get some good results.”