HOUSTON — The Astros quickly ran out of superlatives in describing Justin Verlander's performance in their 4-2 victory over the New York Yankees in Game 1 of the American League Championship Series on Wednesday night.
Echoes of «first-ballot Hall of Famer,» «workhorse» and «ace» were heard throughout the Astros clubhouse after Verlander struck out 11 batters over six innings and allowed only one earned run.
But what truly differentiated his performance was the fact that the 39-year-old Verlander was not initially sharp, coming off one of the worst postseason outings of his illustrious career, having allowed six runs on 10 hits in the first game of the division series against the Seattle Mariners.
The Astros managed a comeback victory against Seattle with a three-run, walk-off home run by slugger Yordan Alvarez, with Verlander notably showing rust and lack of command.