Astros: 3 Justin Verlander thoughts after another incredible outing

Houston Astros pitcher Justin Verlander had another brilliant outing on Tuesday, drawing comparisons to an MLB legend along the way.

When Justin Verlander finally does retire, he might want to think about investing in a wine company: they both seem to get better with age. The 39-year-old Houston Astros starter is now 7-2 on the season with a 2.13 ERA. He has tossed an American League-leading 71.2 innings of work after pitching only a half-dozen post-2019.

Verlander was brilliant yet again on Tuesday when he helped take down the Seattle Mariners by a score of 4-1. He reminded the baseball world of just how invincible he can be at times.

Over on Twitter, everyone marveled at what the ageless Verlander continues to do.

3 thoughts on Astros ace Justin Verlander having another incredible performance

Verlander is following in the footsteps of another MLB legend, John Smoltz. As Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle dives into, the connection goes deep between these two. From their strikeout totals to recovering from Tommy John Surgery, these two can be talked about in the same breath.

Despite already having plenty of big moments in his career, Verlander continues to live for the new ones, too. He understands how precious each start is. After missing nearly all of the last two seasons, he gets as excited as everyone else whenever he has a night like he did versus the Mariners.

AT&T SportsNet’s Julia Morales noticed a moment as Verlander came off the mound following his 12th strikeout of the night. Fired up, he gave his wife, Kate Upton, some recognition.

In case you weren’t able to see the domination live, MLB’s Twitter page was kind enough to share all 12 of his strikeouts.

https://twitter.com/MLB/status/1534373496784044035

The mix of off-speed pitches to fool batters and heat to blow them away gave Verlander a distinct advantage. How can any hitter possibly have a chance when someone so talented and confident can deliver so many weapons from 60 feet, 6 inches away?

The fantastic outing from Verlander must have felt even better for him given the opponent he performed so well against. On May 27, it was the Mariners who tagged him for 10 hits, 6 runs, and 4 home runs in only his second loss of the year. His ERA went from 1.22 up to 2.03 after those 6 innings of work.

Revenge doesn’t always come so quick. When it does arrive — and in this way — it must feel sweet.