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                                                                                                        SPORTS Friday 20 OctOber 2017


















            Astros now trailing Yankees in ALCS, need 9th Verlander win



            By STEPHEN HAWKINS
             AP Sports Writer
            HOUSTON  (AP)  —  Justin
            Verlander  agreed  to  that
            last-minute  trade  to  the
            Houston  Astros  with  hopes
            of  another  World  Series,
            and has since won all eight
            games he has pitched.
            Eight is not enough. The As-
            tros have to win Verlander’s
            ninth game — or their sea-
            son  will  end  short  of  that
            goal.
            “Obviously.  I  know  this  is
            one  of  the  main  reasons
            I  was  brought  here,”  Ver-
            lander  said  Thursday.  “This
            is why I’m here.”
            Six days after the big right-
            hander  threw  a  complete
            game against the Yankees
            to put Houston up 2-0 in the
            best-of-7  AL  Champion-
            ship  Series,  the  teams  will
            be  back  in  Minute  Maid
            Park for Game 6 on Friday
            night  with  the  Astros  fac-
            ing  an  elimination  game
            after New York swept three
            games in the Bronx.
            “Well,  there’s  immediate   Houston Astros starting pitcher Justin Verlander throws during the first inning of Game 2 of the American League Championship
            belief  when  you  have  a   Series baseball game against the New York Yankees Saturday, Oct. 14, 2017, in Houston.             Associated Press
            Justin Verlander go,” man-
            ager  A.J.  Hinch  said.  “His   “Look at a number of oth-  as  many  as  Luis  Severino  “My (excitement) level is, I  all  that  stuff,  this  is  when  it
            presence  will  immediately   er  players  that  have  been  did for the Yankees. That is  think  it’s  a  hundred,”  Sev-  pays off the most. ... I came
            make  everybody  sit  up     through    playoffs,   and  also  the  starting  matchup  erino  said,  adding  he  felt  out of that start better than
            straight, stand up a little bit   they’ve had their struggles,  for Game 6.            great after a good bullpen  almost any I have all year.”
            more, have a little bit more   and  all  of  a  sudden  they  Severino  didn’t  take  the  session Wednesday.       This  ALCS  so  far  has  fol-
            energy  because  of  the     can  get  hot,”  Yankees  mound for the fifth in Game  Verlander made two World  lowed  the  same  pattern
            presence that he brings.”    manager  Joe  Girardi  said.  2,  an  inning  after  Girardi  Series starts as a rookie with  as the 2001 World Series for
            The  Astros  certainly  need   “And  I  think  everything  is  and  a  trainer  visited  the  Detroit  in  2006,  and  made  New  York,  which  then  lost
            the boost.                   magnified  when  you’re  mound  after  the  23-year-      it  again  in  2012  with  the  the first two games at Arizo-
            Aaron Judge and all those    in  the  playoffs,  and  two  old right-hander uncharac-  Tigers,  who  completed  a  na before winning three in
            baby  bombers  from  New     games  seem  like  forever,  teristically  wound  his  arm  trade Aug. 31 to send him  a row at Yankee Stadium.
            York, who had a pair of 2-1   where  if  you  struggle  two  several  times  soon  after  to  Houston  only  minutes  That’s  where  the  Yankees
            losses in Houston and struck   games  in  the  season  peo-  giving  up  a  solo  homer  to  before the deadline for him  would  like  the  similarities
            out  13  times  against  Ver-  ple don’t say much.”       Carlos Correa.               to be eligible to pitch in this  to end since they lost 15-2
            lander,  definitely  have  a   The  Yankees  are  one  win  He stayed in then, but then  postseason.                in  Game  6  against  Randy
            lot more energy and confi-   away from their first AL pen-  he  was  struck  on  the  wrist  So what did the 34-year-old  Johnson  when  Andy  Pet-
            dence after outscoring the   nant since 2009 and record  of his no-throwing hand by  Verlander  do  in  between  titte  started  tipping  his
            Astros  19-5  and  outhitting   41st overall.             a one-hopper that was the  starts  after  the  124  pitches  pitches.
            them  25-12  in  their  three   Houston  has  to  win  Ver-  inning-ending out.        last Saturday?               Roger   Clemens    started
            home games.                  lander’s start and then an-  Afterward,  Severino  said  “I  kind  of  stepped  on  the  game  7  for  the  Yankees
            And  they  have  already     other  game  for  its  first  AL  he  was  fine  —  and  that  gas. I feel as good now as  against  Curt  Schilling,  but
            turned the tables on Dallas   pennant.  The  Astros  were  checked  out  with  doc-    I’ve felt all year,” Verlander  it was Johnson who got his
            Keuchel,  the  other  Astros   still in the National League  tors — and had wanted to  said. “This is what we work  third win of the series pitch-
            ace who lost Game 5 after    for  their  only  World  Series  keep pitching.           so  hard  for.  My  workout  ing  in  relief  after  the  Dia-
            winning  the  series  opener   appearance 12 years ago.   Now  he  gets  a  chance  to  regimen  in  the  offseason,  mondbacks  scored  twice
            with 10 strikeouts over sev-  Verlander in Game 2 threw  pitch the Yankees into the  my  throwing  regimen,  my  in the ninth off Mariano Ri-
            en scoreless innings.        124  pitches,  exactly  twice  World Series.              shoulder regimen in season,  vera for a 3-2 victory.q
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