Astros starter Justin Verlander has been the club’s best pitcher since he joined it last year. And his dominant stretch continued against the Dodgers on Friday.
Justin Verlander was the star for the Houston Astros in Friday night’s World Series rematch. The ace tossed 7 2/3 innings of one-run ball and struck out 14 hitters.
It wasn’t necessarily a surprise, as Verlander has pitched well against Los Angeles each time he’s faced them. But it was startling simply because the Dodgers boast one of the best offenses in the league.
Yet, Verlander has perplexed essentially every team in the league across the past season. Thus, maybe it’s not as staggering.
The Astros pitcher ranks third in the MLB in ERA and strikeouts. Only Chris Sale owns a better WHIP than Verlander. He heads the best rotation in the league.
But none of the pitchers atop the leaderboards are 35 years old. And they don’t have 14 years on their Major League resume.
The former Detroit star never pitched against Los Angeles. But since his move to Houston, he’s encountered the Dodgers three times.
Slash line against opponents throughout career:
Los Angeles Dodgers – .145/.188/.276
Milwaukee Brewers – .094/.200/.208
Miami Marlins – .143/.200/.238
Colorado Rockies – .192/.236/.279
Houston’s hurler racked up a combined 27 strikeouts in his three starts. He surrendered just seven dogs and four walks.
Dodgers hitters are some of the best in the league. Yet their triple slash was a paltry .145/.188/.276. across three starts.
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And there’s a possibility that Verlander faces off against the club once again come October. But it may be difficult to outshine himself after posting a 14-strikeout bonanza.
While Verlander may not claim another Cy Young award, he is still in the running. Of course, Chris Sale will probably earn the title barring multiple poor performances across the final month.
Verlander was usurped by a Red Sox pitcher in the past. However, he had a strong rebuttal against Rick Porcello’s case.
This year isn’t the same, even though Verlander is posting the best season of his career. Luis Severino is also another threat to win the coveted award despite his recent struggles.
It’s essentially a shame, especially since Verlander’s numbers this year are much more superior than any of his previous seasons. But there is still a chance the Astros ace ends up with the hardware.
Either way, Verlander has earned recognition for being one of the league’s best pitchers. And given his age, fans may not be able to see him dominate opponents much longer – if ever again.