HOUSTON — Justin Verlander continues to find new ways to stay at the top of his game, even at the age of 40. The Houston Astros pitcher has been using TrackMan technology, studying his own mechanics, and even watching pitching videos on Instagram to gain an edge.
Verlander’s dedication paid off in his latest outing on Tuesday night. Since being traded back to the Astros earlier this month, he delivered his best performance yet. In six scoreless innings, Verlander struck out a season-high nine batters and allowed just five hits, one walk, and hit one batter. The Astros went on to win 7-3 against the Red Sox at Minute Maid Park.
The veteran pitcher attributed his success to a mechanical adjustment he made since his last start. Verlander said, “I think I found something early in my mechanics with my load that answered a lot of questions… The velo jumped up a little bit, I was behind the ball better, timing was better. All very positive things.”
Verlander threw 96 pitches in the game, generating 16 swings-and-misses, including 13 on his fastball. His fastball averaged 95.1 mph, an improvement from his season average of 94.3 mph. Verlander now holds a 9-6 record and has a 2.17 ERA in his last 11 starts.
This stellar performance couldn’t have come at a better time for the Astros, who are currently in a three-way battle in the American League West. The win kept them half a game ahead of the surging Seattle Mariners and within striking distance of the first-place Texas Rangers.
Verlander emphasized the need for the team to step up and play better baseball. He acknowledged the talent within the team and the urgency to perform. After being swept by the Mariners last weekend, Verlander said, “It’s like ‘All right, turn the page. Let’s go. Wake up.’ It’s nice to see us do just that.”
The Astros received contributions from other players as well. Kyle Tucker hit a two-run homer, his 25th of the season, to put Houston ahead. Catcher Martín Maldonado also drove in a run with a sacrifice bunt in the fourth inning.
In a surprising turn of events, Verlander found himself in an exchange of words with Red Sox manager Alex Cora before the start of the second inning. Verlander motioned that his PitchCom earpiece wasn’t working, leading to a dispute. Cora argued that Verlander was using the communication issue as a tactic to delay the pitch timer. The situation quickly deescalated, and both Verlander and Cora stated that there were no hard feelings after the game.
Cora praised Verlander, calling him “one of the greatest pitchers in the history of the game.” However, his team fell short in their attempt to overcome Verlander’s dominance.
With Verlander back in peak form and the Astros ready to fight for the top spot in their division, it will be exciting to see how the remainder of the season unfolds for Houston.