Justin Verlander
Ex-Tiger Justin Verlander, the fierce competitor that he is, didn't disappoint his new team, the Houston Astros, on Saturday in the 2-1 victory over the New York Yankees.
Here's how Jake Kaplan of the Houston Chronicle describes it:
On the very stage for which the Astros acquired him, Justin Verlander lived up to his name and then some.
Verlander struck out 13 and pitched nine innings of one-run ball to lead the Astros to a two-games-to-none lead over the New York Yankees in the ALCS. He threw his last pitch amid a tie game but Carlos Correa walked off a 2-1 victory with a double off Aroldis Chapman that scored Jose Altuve in the bottom of the ninth...
Verlander was utterly dominant. The former MVP and Cy Young Award winner became the first starter this postseason to pitch into even the eighth inning and the first Astros to complete nine in the playoffs since Nolan Ryan in the 1986 NLCS.
Verlander allowed only five hits and one walk. He ran his fastball up to 97 mph and his slider up to 89. He filled up the strike zone, throwing 93 of his 124 pitches for strikes.
