It was an exciting time when Houston Astros pitcher Justin Verlander got his return date as he finally made it Wednesday against the Boston Red Sox, though it ended in a loss, 4-1. He would speak after the game in his first start since June 9 where he was suffering from stiffness in his neck, but since, Verlander had been racking in dominant rehab outings.
The Astros star would come back and threw 76 pitches and five innings, where he struck out six batters, allowed four hits, two earned runs, and a walk in the loss. While it did end in defeat, the positive outcome was that he “felt good” after the outing and even was “happy” about it according to ESPN.
“I felt good,” Verlander said. “I felt like the stuff was pretty good and as the game went along the location started to hone in and the mechanics felt good. So I was happy about it.”
Justin Verlander's return is “huge” per Astros manager Joe Espada
There is no doubt that the Astros getting back Verlander brings a boost to their starting rotation, but just their team in general as on the season, he has thrown 3.92 ERA, 57 strikeout, while having a 3-3 record. Houston manager Joe Espada was even impressed with the performance from the 41-year old as he explained how “big” it is getting him back with the group according to the Houston Chronicle.
“Fastball looked really good, up to 96 (mph),” Espada said. “There was some intent behind all his pitches. … Executed some really good breaking balls. I thought that was really good to see.”
“It's big getting JV on the mound. It's getting one of the best back in there,” Espada continued. “We know what he means. We know he's part of this winning culture, and getting him back is a big boost for our team, especially down the stretch.”
Justin Verlander gives insight into his Astros return performance
It was a slog in the first two innings for Verlander as he pitched 19 in the first and 24 in the second as he had trouble against Boston's bats in his return. However, he would come back into form which the almost 20-year veteran described as being “able to just relax a little bit.”
“Just kind of backed off a little bit, honestly,” Verlander said. “Adrenaline was pretty high the first inning or so, and I felt like the ball was coming out good. I was able to just relax a little bit and kind of not try to throw every fastball as hard as I could and locate a little bit better.”
“Hovered first inning at 95, 96 (mph), and then the third through fifth was more like 93, 94,” Verlander continued. “Had a little bit more in the tank if I needed it. But when I was throwing at that velocity, I felt like I was able to locate really well…really just kind of started trusting my stuff.”
At any rate, it was still a solid outing for Verlander who looks to get back into the shape of things and help the Astros make a push for the rest of the season. The team is currently 68-59 which puts them at the top of the AL West as the Astros starts a four-game series against the Baltimore Orioles Thursday night.
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