The Houston Astros and their ace Justin Verlander are in postseason status.
Verlander pitched five scoreless innings.struck out 10 without allowing a hit as Houston beat the Philadelphia Phillies 10-0 on Tuesday night.
Astros manager Dusty Baker drew Verlander after 77 pitches to allow the bullpen to complete a shutout. The bullpen allowed no hits until the 9th inning, End Houston Bid No hits and no runs.
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With his final regular season start, Verlander put the finishing touches on his bid to become a three-time CY Young winner, completing a spectacular regular season after missing the entire 2021 season through injury. did.
“For me, this may not have happened, but it’s what I expected,” Verlander said. “I didn’t know exactly how good the season would be, but I knew when I was healthy I would be myself, which is usually pretty good.”
with victory, Verlander finishes regular season Boasting 18 wins and 4 losses (the most wins in the American League) and an ERA of 1.75 (the lowest ERA in the Major Leagues). This is Verlander’s lowest ERA of his career, surpassing his 2011 ERA, which earned him his first CY Young Award.
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It was an amazing turnaround for Verlander, who missed most of the 2020 season and spent the entire 2021 season recovering from Tommy John surgery.
“It’s great to have him on the mound,” Baker said. “The team is excited, the fans are excited. I think baseball will be excited about him when he’s on the mound on a national stage. He’s a pitcher.”
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The Astros win the AL West division title and advance to the playoffs as the top seed in the American League.
It was the second time this season for Verlander to be pulled from the start before allowing a hit. However, the regular season stats are not his ultimate goal, he was named an All-Star nine times.
“If I was happy where I finished the regular season, I wouldn’t be where I am or where I am… I’m trying to prepare myself for the postseason and get ready for it,” Verlander said. “But at the same time, I look at the numbers and I know how good they are, and I appreciate that.”
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Phillies catcher Garrett Stubbs smashed Houston’s no-hitter to lead off the ninth inning and end the bid for the third total no-hitter in MLB this season.
“I start thinking about the possibility of a no-hitter in the fifth inning,” Baker said. “You start counting the outs….Everyone in our bullpen, those who came in, wanted to be a part of it.”
The Astros await the winner of the Seattle Mariners-Toronto Blue Jays series.
The Associated Press contributed to this report