\n”, “providerName”: “Twitter”, “providerUrl”: “https://twitter.com”, “type”: “oembed”, “width”: 550, “contentType”: “rich”},{ “__typename”: “Markdown”, “content”: “When Verlander was first traded to the Astros from the Tigers in late 2017, he debated whether to waive his no-trade clause. He was a legend in Detroit, but Houston represented a chance to win a World Series.”,”type”:text”},{“__typename”: “Markdown”,”content”:”• Astros-Rangers’ newest rivalry in the states to face off in Postseason”type”:text”},{“__typename”:”Markdown”,”content”:”A payment from Astros outfielder Dallas Keuchel and approval from his then-fiancée (and now wife)” Kate Upton prompted Verlander to approve the deal. \n\nThe fun was just beginning.\n\nVerlander’s accomplishments since donning an Astros uniform have been remarkable. He has won two World Series titles, was the 2017 ALCS Most Valuable Player, and won two AL Cy Young Awards (and finished second once) He achieved 200 wins and 3,000 strikes, and also delivered his third knockout. “,”preferredPlaybackScenarioURL({\”preferredPlaybacks\”:\”mp4AvcPlayback\”}) “https://darkroom-clips.mlb.com/0a5fb7f2-a09c-43fd-a2ca-5569ecd82113.mp4”, “type”: ” video”, “description”: “Strikes against Verlander in the last match”, “displayAsVideoGif”:true,”duration”:”00:00:07″, “slug”: “justin-verlander-against-the-rangers”, “tags”:[{“__typename”:”TaxonomyTag”,”slug”:”data-visualization”,”title”:”data visualization”,”type”:”taxonomy”},{“__typename”:”PersonTag”,”slug”:”playerid-434378″,”title”:”Justin Verlander”,”person”:{“__ref”:”Person:434378″},”type”:”player”},{“__typename”:”GameTag”}]”thumbnail”:{“__typename”: “Thumbnail”, “templateUrl”: “https://img.mlbstatic.com/mlb-images/image/upload/{formatInstructions}/mlb/vg5u2sqk0hojwn44chuc”},”title” : “Justin Verlander vs. the Rangers”,relativeSiteUrl”:”/video/justin-verlander-against-the-rangers”},{“__typename”: “Markdown”, “content”: “Verlander has parlayed that success into profitable possession” Hold With the Mets, but when things went wrong in Queens and they became sellers at the trade deadline, a return to Houston became a reality.\n\n”I certainly couldn’t have planned for this or expected this to happen,” Verlander said. But clearly things are working out for a reason. What.”,”type”:text”},{“__typename”:”Markdown”, “content”: “• Rangers-Astros ALCS Game 1 FAQ”, “type”: “text”},{” __typename”: “Markdown”, “content”: “The Astros paid a heavy price to reacquire Verlander — sending the Mets their two top prospects at the time, outfielders Drew Gilbert and Ryan Clifford. Few fans will bemoan the loss These are the players if Houston can win another World Series with Verlander. preferredPlaybackScenarioURL({\”preferredPlaybacks\”:\”mp4AvcPlayback\”})”:https://mlb-cuts-diamond.mlb.com/FORGE/2023/2023-10/11/ceb9993d-496c77bf-721b8d8d-csvm- diamondx64-asset_1280x720_59_4000K.mp4″, “type”: “video”, “description”: “MLB Tonight looks ahead to the ALCS, where Bruce Bochy’s Rangers will take on Dusty Baker’s Astros”, “displayAsVideoGif”:false “duration”: “00: 05:59″,”slug”: “Looking Ahead to Astros Rangers”,”tags”:[{“__typename”:”TaxonomyTag”,”slug”:”mlb-network”,”title”:”MLB Network”,”type”:”taxonomy”},{“__typename”:”TaxonomyTag”,”slug”:”mlbn-mlb-tonight”,”title”:”MLB Tonight”,”type”:”taxonomy”},{“__typename”:”TaxonomyTag”,”slug”:”postseason”,”title”:”postseason”,”type”:”taxonomy”}]”thumbnail”:{“__typename”: “Thumbnail”, “templateUrl”: “https://img.mlbstatic.com/mlb-images/image/upload/{formatInstructions}/mlb/ajhn5q5xb3kiuvuchx46″},”title” : “Looking Ahead to Astros, Rangers”, “relativeSiteUrl”: “/video/looking-ahead-to-astros-rangers”},{“__typename”: “Markdown”, “content”: “The day after Verlander was traded” “to Astros team On August 1, he was in the visiting clubhouse at Yankee Stadium doing a crossword puzzle, calling for help from teammate Alex Bregman across the room. Verlander was as relaxed as could be. It was as if he had never left.\n\nGone Verlander is 7-3 with a 3.31 ERA in 11 games for Houston in August and September, including two performances in the Astros’ season-defining 5-1 road trip to finish the regular season.\n\nIn starts against the Mariners and D-backs, Verlander won both and allowed For one, he homered in 13 innings, tossing six scoreless innings in a win over the Twins in Game 1 of the AL Division Series — his 17th career postseason win, second only to Andy Pettitte. (19).,””type”: ” text”},{“__typename”: “Video”, “contentDate”: “2023-10-12T04:48:58.9Z”, “preferredPlaybackScenarioURL({\”preferredPlaybacks\” :\”mp4AvcPlayback\”})”:” :https://mlb-cuts-diamond.mlb.com/FORGE/2023/2023-10/11/17991f0e-76e52d5e-5f319b68-csvm-diamondx64-asset_1280x720_59_4000K.mp4″, “type”: “video”, “description” “: “Dusty Baker, José Urquidy, Dana Brown and the Astros discuss and celebrate advancing to their seventh straight ALCS”, “displayAsVideoGif”:false, “duration”: “00:01:38″,”slug”:”astros-celebrate -alcs-clincher”,”tags”:[{“__typename”:”GameTag”},{“__typename”:”TeamTag”,”slug”:”teamid-117″,”title”:”Houston Astros”,”team”:{“__ref”:”Team:117″},”type”:”team”},{“__typename”:”TaxonomyTag”,”slug”:”clincher”,”title”:”clincher”,”type”:”taxonomy”},{“__typename”:”TaxonomyTag”,”slug”:”postseason”,”title”:”postseason”,”type”:”taxonomy”},{“__typename”:”TaxonomyTag”,”slug”:”series-b”,”title”:”Series B”,”type”:”taxonomy”},{“__typename”:”TaxonomyTag”,”slug”:”send-to-news-mlb-feed”,”title”:”Send To News MLB feed”,”type”:”taxonomy”},{“__typename”:”TaxonomyTag”,”slug”:”imagen-feed”,”title”:”Imagen feed”,”type”:”taxonomy”}]”thumbnail”:{“__typename”: “Thumbnail”, “templateUrl”: “https://img.mlbstatic.com/mlb-images/image/upload/{formatInstructions}/mlb/oy5fduinn0yluvjw9lne”},”title” : “Astros Celebrate ALCS clincher”,relativeSiteUrl”:”/video/astros-celebrate-alcs-clincher”},{“__typename”:”Markdown”,”content”:”When the Astros clinched their seventh straight ALCS berth with a win over For the Twins on Wednesday at Target Field, it was Verlander who gave the postgame speech, where he talked about the difficulty of the season and how the Astros had to battle through injuries, before reminding his teammates: “I wasn’t even here.” Verlander told the boys not to They take what they’ve accomplished for granted — only the Braves of the 1990s played in back-to-back league champion series. The Astros won two World Series titles, four AL titles and six AL West titles in seven years. Verlander was in the middle of it all, even with the shutdown A little guy in the Big Apple. “Summer outside,” he calls it.”,”type”:text”},{“__typename”: “Video”, “contentDate”: “2023-10-12T04:36:00.137Z”, “preferredPlaybackScenarioURL({\”preferredPlaybacks\”:\”mp4AvcPlayback\”})”:”:https://mlb-cuts-diamond .mlb.com/FORGE/2023/2023-10/11/41824c68-5423f943-fe2cdc86 -csvm-diamondx64-asset_1280x720_59_4000K.mp4″, “type”: “video”, “description”: “Astros manager Dusty Baker discusses Jose Abreu.” Performance and more after 3-2 win over Twins in Game 4 to win ALDS”,”displayAsVideoGif”:false,”duration”:”00:01:29″,”slug”:”dusty-baker-on-“series winning” “Tags”:[{“__typename”:”GameTag”},{“__typename”:”TeamTag”,”slug”:”teamid-117″,”title”:”Houston Astros”,”team”:{“__ref”:”Team:117″},”type”:”team”},{“__typename”:”TaxonomyTag”,”slug”:”press-conference”,”title”:”press conference”,”type”:”taxonomy”},{“__typename”:”TaxonomyTag”,”slug”:”manager-postgame”,”title”:”manager postgame”,”type”:”taxonomy”},{“__typename”:”TaxonomyTag”,”slug”:”send-to-news-mlb-feed”,”title”:”Send To News MLB feed”,”type”:”taxonomy”},{“__typename”:”TaxonomyTag”,”slug”:”tune-in-daily”,”title”:”TuneIn daily”,”type”:”taxonomy”},{“__typename”:”TaxonomyTag”,”slug”:”imagen-feed”,”title”:”Imagen feed”,”type”:”taxonomy”},{“__typename”:”TaxonomyTag”,”slug”:”clincher”,”title”:”clincher”,”type”:”taxonomy”},{“__typename”:”TaxonomyTag”,”slug”:”postseason”,”title”:”postseason”,”type”:”taxonomy”},{“__typename”:”TaxonomyTag”,”slug”:”series-b”,”title”:”Series B”,”type”:”taxonomy”}]”thumbnail”:{“__typename”: “Thumbnail”, “templateUrl”: “https://img.mlbstatic.com/mlb-images/image/upload/{formatInstructions}/mlb/hhrcgfddrf3swlcznupj”},”title” : “Dusty Baker on ALDS win”,relativeSiteUrl”:”:/video/dusty-baker-on-series-win”},{“__typename”:”Markdown”,”content”:”Verlander will take the ball on Sunday” Kickoff Night His 14th home run in the first game, hoping to move the Astros one step closer to another fall classic. No team has repeated as World Series champion since the 1998-2000 Yankees, but the Astros have a chance to cement their status as a dynasty if they can win a third championship in seven seasons .\n\nThey wouldn’t be here without their star.\n\n“I think the magic thing about this team is that these guys never take a day off,” Verlander said. “They don’t take anything for granted and they come with a desire.\n\n n\”I know this sounds weird in the playoffs, but when you’ve been in the playoffs as many times as we did in row, I think it’s hard not to take things for granted, but we certainly don’t. Summary”:Houston – No team will head to The Astros are heading to their seventh straight American League Championship Series without pitcher Justin Verlander. 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October 12, 2023
So many things — good and bad — had to align for Verlander to be back with the Astros that you can’t help but wonder if this was fate. Even Verlander himself still has a hard time rationalizing everything that’s happened the last few months, but here he is back in orange and blue and preparing to take the ball in Game 1 of the ALCS against the Rangers on Sunday night at Minute Maid Park.
“Anytime you play a playoff opponent, you know each other well, which makes the series fun,” Verlander said.
When Verlander was first traded to the Astros from the Tigers in late 2017, he debated whether to waive his no-trade clause. He was a legend in Detroit, but Houston represented a World Series chance.
A push from Astros pitcher Dallas Keuchel and approval from his then-fiancée (and now wife) Kate Upton prompted Verlander to say yes to the deal.
The fun was just beginning.
Verlander’s accomplishments since putting on an Astros uniform have been impressive. He’s won two World Series titles, was the 2017 ALCS Most Valuable Player, won two AL Cy Young Awards (and finished second once), had 200 wins and 3,000 strikeouts, and also threw his third home run.
Verlander parlayed that success into a lucrative contract with the Mets, but when things went south in the Queens and they became sellers at the trade deadline, a return to Houston became a reality.
“I certainly couldn’t have planned for this or expected this to happen,” Verlander said. “But obviously things work for a reason.”
The Astros paid a heavy price to reacquire Verlander – the Mets sent their top two prospects at the time in outfielders Drew Gilbert and Ryan Clifford. Few fans will bemoan the loss of these players if Houston can win another World Series with Verlander.
The day after Verlander was traded to the Astros on Aug. 1, he was in the visiting clubhouse at Yankee Stadium doing a crossword puzzle, asking across the room for help from teammate Alex Bregman. Verlander was as relaxed as could be. It was as if he never left.
Verlander went 7-3 with a 3.31 ERA in 11 starts for Houston in August and September, including two outings in the Astros’ season-defining 5-1 road trip to end the regular season.
In starts against the Mariners and D-backs, Verlander won both and allowed one run in 13 innings. He tossed six scoreless innings in a win over the Twins in Game 1 of the AL Division Series — his 17th career postseason win, second only to Andy Pettitte (19).
When the Astros clinched their seventh straight ALCS berth with a win over the Twins on Wednesday at Target Field, it was Verlander who delivered the postgame speech. He talked about the difficulty of the season and how the Astros had to battle through injuries, before reminding his teammates: “I wasn’t even here!”
Verlander told the boys not to take what they’ve accomplished for granted — only the Braves of the 1990s played in back-to-back league champion series. The Astros won two World Series titles, four AL titles and six AL West titles in seven years. Verlander was in the middle of it all, even with a short stop in the Big Apple. He calls it “summer abroad.”
Verlander will take the ball Sunday night for his 14th career start in the first game, hoping to move the Astros one step closer to another Fall Classic. No team has repeated as World Series champions since the 1998-2000 Yankees, but the Astros have a chance to cement their status as a dynasty if they can win their third championship in seven seasons.
They wouldn’t be here without Ace.
“I think the magic thing about this team is these guys never take a day off,” Verlander said. “They don’t take anything for granted and they come with desire.
“I know it sounds weird in the playoffs, but when you go to the playoffs multiple times in a row, it’s hard not to take things too seriously, I guess, but we definitely don’t.”
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