In baseball, several different roads can lead to a save—and on Friday, Houston Astros pitcher Jason Alexander took the most unconventional.

After Lance McCullers Jr. pitched the first six innings of the Astros' game against the Los Angeles Dodgers, Alexander entered in his stead. He proceeded to throw three shutout innings and give up two hits, while walking two and striking out two.

The result? A save for Alexander in a game Houston won 18–1, as a pitcher who throws at least three innings in relief and finishes a game with a lead of any size receives a save. That is tied for the 24th-most lopsided margin of victory in a game with a save in baseball history per Baseball Reference; Texas Rangers pitcher Wes Littleton holds the record with a save in his team's infamous 30–3 win over the Baltimore Orioles in 2007.

The historic save was the first of Alexander's career; he's pitched parts of two seasons with three different teams. He has just three saves in the minors, where he has primarily been a starting pitcher.

It feels like a safe bet to say none of those were as painless as this one.

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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Astros' Jason Alexander Earned the Most Stress-Free Save You'll Ever See.

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