Houston Astros pitcher Justin Verlander was every bit the ace of the team as he fanned 11 batters to fuel the Houston Astros 4-2 victory over the New York Yankees in Game 1 of their ALCS series on Wednesday night.
“This is exactly what I expected from him,” Astros catcher Martin Maldonado said, according to ESPN’s Marly Rivera. “That is why he is a Hall of Famer.”
Verlander’s 11 total strikeouts gave him the eighth double-digit strikeout game of his phenomenal postseason career, a new MLB record. Additionally, Verlander improved to 5-1 with a 2.62 ERA in nine career postseason starts against the Yankees, and the Astros improved to 10-5 all-time against the Bronx Bombers.
“He’s not only physically strong, which you can see, but he’s mentally strong,” Astros manager Dusty Baker said of Verlander. “This guy, he has mental toughness. When he’s down and out and it looks like you got him in trouble, I mean, this guy, he can dial it up.”
“He gave us exactly the kind of performance we needed, and I feel that I say that all the time about Verlander,” Astros superstar hitter Jose Altuve said. “This was a huge win for us, alongside our bullpen, which has been exceptional all season. He set the tone and allowed us to win the first game, which is very important in a tough series like this one, and against a great team like the Yankees.”
