For a while, Houston Astros ace Justin Verlander looked poised to spin a gem against the Philadelphia Phillies in Game 1 of the World Series. He didn’t allow a base runner through the first three innings on Friday night, but in the fourth that all changed, even though he had a 5-0 lead.
Verlander allowed a single to Rhys Hoskins and then took the second out of the frame. At that point, the Phillies did what it seems they’ve been doing all October: string two hits together. Bryce Harper and Nick Castellanos each singled, and then Alec Bohm made it two with a double. Rookie Bryson Stott drew a 10-pitch walk before Verlander was able to escape further damage on a Jean Segura popout.
The Astros’ lead was 5-3 in the top of the fifth, but Verlander battled back. Here’s how his frame went: double, walk, out, double, ground out, strikeout. After all that, the score was tied, and Verlander and the Astros had blown a five-run lead. Verlander, who probably should have been lifted early in the fifth, ended up working five frames and giving up five hits on six hits with five strikeouts and two walks. Several hours later, the Astros put their heads down and took a 6-5 loss in the 10th.
Verlander is a future Hall of Famer who could win his third Cy Young this year in his 39-year-old campaign. But he has struggled a lot in the World Series throughout his career. Verlander entered Game 1 with an 0-6 record and a 5.68 ERA in seven World Series starts. After Friday, those numbers need to be updated, and it turns out Verlander has made history of an unfortunate kind:
Yes, Verlander’s updated World Series ERA of 6.07 is the worst among pitchers with at least 30 World Series innings. As bad as Verlander was in Game 1 on Friday, it may not be the worst World Series start of his career. In the opener against the Giants in 2012, he allowed five runs in four innings; and in the first game against the Cardinals in 2006, he allowed six runs in five innings. As you’ve probably already guessed, Games 1 have been particularly nasty with Verlander:
As for his latest Game 1 setback, he’s moving on to age 40 and coming off Tommy John surgery. Regular season and playoffs combined, he’s now worked 190 innings in 2022. Maybe that’s catching up to him, or maybe it’s just one of those baseball oddities that happens every now and then. Verlander will most likely get another start in this World Series, and thus a chance for partial redemption. For now, though, his repeated struggles when the stakes are higher are very much at odds with the brilliant rest of his career.