Justin’s gem is why ’Stros got him
HOUSTON — The thing that resonated with Justin Verlander as the clock ticked down on Aug. 31 was the expectations. The big righthander knew that the Tigers’ hopes for 2017 and the next few seasons were over, but the Astros had World Series aspirations for the next few years. And he knew if he approved a trade from Detroit to Houston he would be expected to get the Astros there. Saturday he took another step toward delivering. Verlander threw a brilliant complete game, beating the Yankees, 2-1, in Game 2 of the American League Championship Series. It was his second postseason complete game and first since 2012 and the first thrown by an Astro since his childhood idol Nolan Ryan in the 1981 NLDS. Verlander threw 124 pitches, the most in a postseason game by a starter since Dallas Keuchel threw 124 in the 2015 ALCS. The former Cy Young and MVP winner struck out 13 Yankees, a career playoff high. It was just the 20th time in history that a pitcher struck out 13 in a postseason game and the first time since Tim Lincecum in Game 1 of the 2010 NLDS. Verlander now has five postseason games of 11 or more strikeouts, one more than Randy Johnson and the most in postseason history. “Big moments are meant for big-time performers. From pitch one, Justin Verlander was big for this team,” Astros manager A.J. Hinch said. “But most importantly, this game today he was exceptional in every way. From controlling his emotions to executing every pitch to being dominant with his fastball, the put-away breaking ball, a couple changeups. He just was every bit the top-end pitcher in the league that he’s been for a really long time.
“This is such a big moment for our team, but he put us on his back today with his pitching,” Hinch said.
When Hinch went to Verlander after the seventh inning to see how the old-school hurler was feeling, he snapped at his manager. Hinch didn’t even bother going to him about the ninth.
“I do consider myself an old-school type pitcher . . . I think I’ve conditioned myself to throw that many pitches. I think early in my career. . . I was fortunate to have a manager in Jim Leyland who realized that I got stronger as games went on and let me continue to pitch,” Verlander said. “I’m thankful for that. When I got here, one of the first things I did was have a conversation with A.J. about how he would like it use me and he told me that he didn’t plan on trying to shorten my leash or take me out early. It was, we would have conversations and I would be honest with him and he would be honest with me about how I felt.”
After a little trouble in the fifth, when Aaron Hicks lined a two-out double to center and Todd Frazier’s fly ball to left field got stuck in the chain-link fence for a ground-rule RBI double, tying the game at 1-1, Verlander buckled down. The Astros won on Carlos Correa’s double, taking a commanding 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven series.
“This is what I envisioned when I made that decision. When it came down to it, when I decided to say yes, these are the moments that you envision,” Verlander said. “You don’t envision going 5-0 in the regular season once you get here, that’s all fine and great, but that’s not why I was brought here.
“I was brought here to help this team win a championship. And I’m aware of that and I’m going to do everything I possibly can,” the 34-year old said. “Today was just one step.
“I’m pretty tired right now, honestly,” Verlander admitted. “It’s pretty mentally exhausting, the playoffs, but that’s what it’s all about, man.”