Astros' Justin Verlander: Named starter for Game 5
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Verlander will start Game 5 of the ALCS on Friday at Texas, Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle reports.
An easy call here for Astros manager Dusty Baker. Verlander took the loss in Game 1 of the ALCS on Sunday at Houston, but that was mostly due to a lack of run support. The veteran right-hander has allowed only two runs while tallying 11 strikeouts through 12.2 innings (two starts) this postseason.
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Astros' Justin Verlander: Surrenders two runs in loss
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Verlander took the loss in Sunday's 2-0 match against the Rangers in Game 1 of the ALCS, allowing two runs on six hits and two walks across 6.2 innings. He struck out five.
Verlander had a solid performance on the losing side of a pitchers duel, yet his team could not bail him out of the 12th loss of his postseason career. The veteran right-hander was victim to an RBI single in the second inning to give the Rangers an early lead, and a fifth-inning solo home run by Leody Taveras furthered the damage. However, Verlander hasn't lost a beat in his age-40 season, tossing his seventh quality start in eight games since September. So far this postseason, Verlander has pitched to a clean 1.42 ERA and 1.18 WHIP across 12.2 innings with 11 strikeouts.
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Astros' Justin Verlander: Will start Game 1 of ALCS
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Verlander will start Game 1 of the ALCS against the Rangers on Sunday in Houston, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.
Verlander would have gotten the call for a potential ALDS Game 5 start against the Twins, but the Astros took care of business with a clinching Game 4 victory Wednesday at Target Field. The veteran right-hander was his usual trusty October self in Game 1 of that best-of-five series, tallying six strikeouts over six scoreless innings in a 6-4 defeat of Minnesota. He'll be on seven full days of rest leading into the opener of the best-of-seven American League Championship Series versus Texas.
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Astros' Justin Verlander: Unlikely to start on short rest
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Astros manager Dusty Baker said Monday that Verlander is "probably not" an option to start Game 4 of the ALDS against the Twins on short rest, Bobby Nightengale of the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports.
Houston has not yet announced a Game 4 starter, but it doesn't sound like Verlander is under consideration. Instead, Verlander would presumably be in line to take the ball in a potential Game 5. The Astros are turning to Cristian Javier in Game 3 after splitting the first two games of the series. It figures to be J.P. France or Jose Urquidy starting Game 4 for Houston after Hunter Brown was used in relief in Game 2.
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Astros' Justin Verlander: Gets call for ALDS Game 1
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Verlander will start for the Astros on Saturday in Game 1 of the ALDS versus the Twins, Chandler Rome of The Athletic reports.
The Astros have co-aces with Verlander and Framber Valdez, and manager Dusty Baker will go with the former for the series opener while holding the latter back for Game 2. Verlander collected a 2.73 ERA over his final five starts of the regular season for Houston. He will be pitching on six days' rest Saturday.
Verlander (13-8) allowed two hits and three walks while striking out five over five shutout innings to earn the win Saturday over the Diamondbacks.
Verlander's three walks were his most in a start since he was traded from the Mets, but he still got the job done. The Astros' playoff spot was confirmed with their win and the Mariners' loss to Texas. Verlander has delivered three scoreless outings in his 11 starts with Houston, and he ends September having allowed 17 runs (16 earned) over 39 frames in six starts. He has a 3.22 ERA, 1.13 WHIP and 144:45 K:BB in 162.1 innings over 27 starts this season. Verlander's next turn through the rotation tentatively lines up for Game 3 of the AL Wild Card Series.
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Astros' Justin Verlander: Turns in vintage performance
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Verlander (12-8) allowed one run on three hits and a walk while striking out eight over eight-plus innings to earn the win over the Mariners on Monday.
This was Verlander's longest outing since he was traded from the Mets to the Astros at the deadline. It was also his third quality start over five outings in September. The 40-year-old right-hander is now at a 3.32 ERA, 1.14 WHIP and 139:42 K:BB through 157.1 innings over 26 starts this season. He's tentatively lined up to face the Diamondbacks on the road this weekend, but Houston may change its pitching plans depending on its positioning in the standings and whether the team needs to line up a playoff rotation.
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Astros' Justin Verlander: Goes six innings in no-decision
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Verlander did not factor into the decision Monday, allowing three runs on eight hits and a walk over six innings against the Orioles. He struck out five.
Verlander has now gone six or more innings in each of his last four starts, though he's pitched to a 5.19 ERA in that span. Overall, the veteran right-hander is 11-8 with a 3.44 ERA, 1.17 WHIP and 131:41 K:BB through 25 starts (149.1 innings) this season between the Astros and the Mets. Verlander's currently lined up for a favorable home matchup with the Royals in his next outing.
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Astros' Justin Verlander: Falls to Oakland
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Verlander (5-3) took the loss Tuesday, allowing five runs on eight hits over seven innings against the Athletics. He struck out seven.
The A's got to Verlander early Tuesday, putting up three runs in the opening inning, including a pair on a Shea Langeliers homer. Verlander would hold Oakland to two runs over his final six frames, though he'd ultimately wind up with just his second loss in his last seven starts. The veteran right-hander had been excellent of late, holding opponents to one run or fewer in three of his prior four outings. His ERA now sits at 3.39 with a 1.16 WHIP and 126:40 K:BB across 24 starts (143.1 innings) between the Astros and Mets this season. Verlander will look to get back on track in his next outing, currently scheduled for early next week against the Orioles.
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Astros' Justin Verlander: Bounces back versus Rangers
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Verlander (11-7) allowed two runs (one earned) on four hits and a walk while striking out six over seven innings to earn the win Wednesday over the Rangers.
Verlander and former Mets teammate Max Scherzer got the starts Wednesday, but only Verlander lived up to the billing with a sharp start. The 40-year-old right-hander had some trouble with Marcus Semien, but the rest of the Rangers' lineup didn't challenge him. Verlander has allowed one earned run or fewer in three of his last four starts. He's at a 3.23 ERA, 1.16 WHIP and 119:40 K:BB through 136.1 innings over 23 starts this season. Verlander is projected for a favorable home start versus the Athletics next week.
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Astros' Justin Verlander: Struggles against Yankees
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Verlander (10-7) suffered the loss Friday, surrendering six runs on eight hits and a walk while striking out three as the Astros were downed 6-2 by the Yankees.
Verlander struggled with the long ball, giving up a solo shot to DJ LeMahieu to open the game before Jasson Dominguez took him deep for a two-run blast with two outs in the first inning. He later gave two more solo shots to Giancarlo Stanton in the third and Aaron Judge in the fifth frame. Verlander had tossed 11 straight scoreless innings in his prior two starts, and his ERA since the beginning of August is still a respectable 3.86 over 35 frames.
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Astros' Justin Verlander: Handles Tigers for easy win
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Verlander (10-6) got the win Sunday over the Tigers, allowing just two hits and two walks over five scoreless innings. He struck out seven.
Though he allowed just two hits, Verlander needed 98 pitches to navigate through five frames as the Tigers often worked him deep into the count. The 40-year-old only registered an 18 percent whiff rate and also plunked three batters but was able to power through the command issues and has now thrown 11 consecutive scoreless innings with a 16:3 K:BB. He's lined up for a start against the struggling Yankees next weekend in an inviting home matchup.
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Astros' Justin Verlander: Dominates BoSox
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Verlander (3-1) earned the win Tuesday, allowing five hits and one walk over six scoreless innings in a 7-3 victory over the Red Sox. He struck out nine.
Fantasy managers got vintage Verlander Tuesday, as the veteran racked up a season-high strikeout total while posting his third shutout effort. The performance represented a welcome resurgence for Verlander, who had allowed 10 runs and struck out 13 batters during his last three starts (18 innings). He's lined up to make his next appearance during a three-game series rematch against Boston at Fenway Park next week.
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Astros' Justin Verlander: Gives up five in win
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Verlander (8-6) earned the win Wednesday, allowing five runs (four earned) on nine hits and two walks over five innings in a 12-5 win over the Marlins. He struck out two.
It wasn't Verlander's best effort, though he did enough to earn his second win thanks to Houston's offensive outburst. It's the first time in three starts that Verlander failed to make it through six innings since rejoining the Astros at the trade deadline. Overall, the veteran right-hander has a 3.36 ERA, 1.19 WHIP and 94:35 K:BB across 19 starts (112.1 innings) between the Astros and Mets. Verlander currently lines up for a home matchup with the Red Sox in his next outing.
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Astros' Justin Verlander: Cruises to seventh win
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Verlander (7-6) earned the win Friday, allowing three runs on six hits over six innings in a 11-3 win over the Angels. He struck out seven without walking a batter.
Verlander tossed a quality start and received plenty of run support to earn his first win since his return to the Astros at the trade deadline. Since the start of June, Verlander has posted an ace-like 2.56 ERA, albeit with only 70 strikeouts over 77.1 innings. He'll look to continue this string of quality performances in his next start, likely to take place next week in Miami.
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Astros' Justin Verlander: Solid in first start since trade
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Verlander (6-6) took the loss Saturday, allowing two runs on seven hits and two walks over seven innings against the Yankees. He struck out four.
Verlander allowed back-to-back hits to start the bottom of the second, leading to a sacrifice fly from Anthony Volpe for the Yankees' first run of the game. The right-hander would then retire seven of the next nine batters he faced before serving up a hanging slider to Jake Bauers, who launched it over the wall in right field. Despite taking the loss, it was still a quality outing for Verlander in his return to Houston following the trade. He's now allowed two earned runs or fewer in four consecutive starts and in six of his last seven.
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Astros' Justin Verlander: Expected to start Saturday
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Astros manager Dusty Baker said Verlander is lined up to start Saturday against the Yankees, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.
Acquired from the Mets just ahead of Tuesday's trade deadline in exchange for prospects Drew Gilbert and Ryan Clifford, the veteran right-hander is all set to go ring chasing again in an Astros uniform. It sounds like Jose Urquidy (shoulder) will come off the 60-day injured list and follow Verlander in Sunday's series finale at Yankee Stadium.
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Astros' Justin Verlander: Returns to Houston in trade
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The Astros acquired Verlander from the Mets on Tuesday, Bob Nightengale of USA Today reports.
Verlander returns to Houston, where he claimed the AL Cy Young Award in both 2019 and 2022 while working to an overall 2.26 ERA, 0.83 WHIP and 825:114 K:BB in 102 starts (652 innings) during his first stint with the organization. He signed a two-year, $86.67 million contract with the Mets this past winter which also carries a $35 million vesting option for 2025. New York will presumably eat some of that cash in order to improve the level of prospects that will be heading over from the Astros' farm system. Those prospects have since been identified as Drew Gilbert and Ryan Clifford.
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Mets' Justin Verlander: Picks up another win
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Verlander (6-5) earned the win Sunday, allowing one run on five hits and one walk over 5.1 innings against the Nationals. He struck out five.
Verlander turned in another strong start Sunday, snaring his third consecutive win -- and the 250th of his Hall of Fame-worthy career -- while tossing 5.1 innings of one-run ball. After a slow start to the season (4.50 ERA over his first nine appearances), Verlander has found his stride and is 4-1 with a 1.49 ERA across his last seven starts. Assuming the three-time Cy Young Award winner isn't dealt prior to Tuesday's trade deadline, Verlander will likely toe the rubber next against the Orioles at Camden Yards this weekend.
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Mets' Justin Verlander: Blanks Yanks for fifth win
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Verlander (5-5) picked up the win Tuesday, allowing two hits and four walks over six scoreless innings in a 9-3 victory over the Yankees. He struck out six.
The veteran righty avoided trouble despite throwing just 63 of 98 pitches for strikes, and a pair of Pete Alonso homers gave Verlander all the run support he would need. The quality start was his fourth in five July outings, and on the month he boasts a 1.69 ERA, 1.00 WHIP and 27:15 K:BB over 32 innings. Verlander will look to keep rolling in his next start, likely to come at home this weekend against the Nationals -- unless the Mets hold a fire sale before then and trade him.
