A Troubling Trend is Emerging For Houston Astros Ace Justin Verlander
A troubling trend is emerging for Houston Astros ace Justin Verlander.
Re-acquired in a trade deadline deal with the New York Mets, Verlander is supposed to help the Astros win the World Series for the second straight year.
The problem? He can't keep the ball in the ballpark.
Per ESPN Stats & Info:
Justin Verlander HR allowed this season:
9 in 94 1/3 IP with the Mets
9 in 49 IP with the Astros
Verlander took the loss on Tuesday against the woeful Oakland Athletics, surrendering five earned runs over 7.0 innings. He gave up two home runs in falling to 11-8 on the season. He's now got a 3.39 ERA.
If the Astros are going to repeat as World Champions, they'll need Verlander to be at his best. The American League is full of powerful-hitting teams like the Orioles, Blue Jays, Rangers and Mariners, all of which have chances to make the playoffs.
At age 40, Verlander is still certainly capable, but he's got an ERA of 4.07 over his last seven starts.
One of the best pitchers of the last 20 years, Verlander is in his 18th year in the big leagues with the Tigers, Astros and Mets. He's a nine-time All-Star, a three-time Cy Young winner, an MVP and a Rookie of the Year. He's certainly destined for the Baseball Hall of Fame.
The Astros are currently 82-64 and lead the American League West by 1.0 game over the Rangers and 1.5 over the Mariners.
They'll play the Athletics again on Wednesday at 7:10 p.m. ET.
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