HOUSTON — He’s won the American League MVP and Rookie of the Year awards, was the 2017 AL Championship Series MVP, has thrown three no-hitters and will likely win his third AL Cy Young Award at the end of this year. For a pitcher who has done it all in his career, Justin Verlander is still chasing a pretty big carrot.
When Verlander takes the mound against the Phillies in Game 1 of the World Series on Friday at Minute Maid Park, he’ll be looking for his first win in the Fall Classic. That’s right: In seven World Series starts (four with Houston and three with Detroit), Verlander is 0-6 with a 5.68 ERA. Verlander’s teams are 1-6 in their seven World Series starts, with the lone win coming in the Astros’ 11-inning win over the Dodgers in Game 2 of the 2017 Series.
Verlander, reminded of that fact Thursday, said he and manager Dusty Baker are chasing the elusive World Series victory. Baker has won more games (2,093) than any other non-championship manager in AL/NL history. Verlander’s start Friday will be his 12th in the opener of a postseason series (and third this year), tying him with Jon Lester for the most in AL/NL history.
“I think that would be a wonderful thing for us to have on our roster,” Verlander said. “It is not my goal, however. My goal is not to go out and win a baseball game. There have been games in the World Series that I don’t deserve to win. There have been games where I thought I pitched well enough to get a win and it didn’t work out. At this point in the season, personal goals like that don’t matter.”
Verlander started Games 1 and 5 of the Tigers’ 2006 World Series against the Cardinals, allowing 10 runs (seven earned) in 11 innings. He started Game 1 of the ’12 World Series for Detroit, giving up five runs and six hits in four innings against the Giants. Since coming to the Astros, he has a 4.70 ERA in four Fall Classic starts: two each in the ’17 and ’19 World Series.
In fact, Verlander has the most winless starts in World Series history. There have been 34 pitchers who have made at least seven Fall Classic starts and all but one, Cincinnati’s Gary Nolan (one win), have at least two wins.
“I’d like to get a win, yeah,” Verlander said. “Like I said, that’s not my goal, so I don’t want to say that he’s missed, because innately, that would make it a particular goal of mine. My goal is to go out there and give us the best chance to win. If that ends up leading to a win, great. I’ve been a part of the games that I’ve pitched and started that we’ve won in the World Series, which is more important than getting the win.”
On Friday, Verlander will pitch three years and one day after his previous World Series start, which was Game 6 of the 2019 Fall Classic against the Nationals. With the Astros needing a win to clinch the World Series title, he gave up three runs and five hits, including home runs to Adam Eaton and Juan Soto, in five innings.
After Tommy John surgery last year and focusing on his rehab, Verlander was not part of Houston’s run to the ’21 World Series. The Astros were also without the injured Lance McCullers Jr. when they faced the Braves in the Fall Classic. But this year, they’ve been bolstered by incredible pitching depth.
Verlander was 18-4 with a 1.75 ERA in 28 regular season starts. After giving up six runs and 10 hits in four innings against the Mariners in Game 1 of the AL Division Series, one of the roughest starts of his postseason career, Verlander held the Yankees to one run and three hits in six innings of the game. 1 of the ALCS. He’ll be pitching Friday on eight days’ rest — a long wait for what he hopes will be another first-round run.
“It’s kind of a weird period of time where you’re not going to try to rush in an extra simulated game or anything, so I just threw a couple of bullpens,” Verlander said. “This year, I’ve had a couple of times during the rotation where I’ve had eight days off. So I’m just hoping that all the reps come up throughout my lifetime.”