Verlander throws 7 solid innings to begin 2nd stint with Astros but loses 3-1 to Yankees

In his second stint with the Houston Astros, Justin Verlander put up a solid performance, pitching seven innings. However, he couldn’t prevent the New York Yankees from claiming a 3-1 victory on Saturday. Jake Bauers’ go-ahead home run was the turning point that led to the Astros’ defeat.

During the game, Gleyber Torres also hit a home run for the Yankees, while Nestor Cortes returned to the mound after a two-month injury period and impressed with eight strikeouts in four innings.

Verlander’s record in this regular-season start against the Yankees dropped to 6-6, marking his first loss to them since June 2015 when he was playing for Detroit. Despite his efforts, he fell to a 10-8 record against New York in regular-season matchups.

In his first start for the Astros since winning Game 5 of the World Series last November, the 40-year-old pitcher maintained an average fastball speed of 94 mph across 52 four-seam fastballs.

Verlander expressed his feelings about the game, acknowledging that he struggled with control early on but improved as the innings progressed, helping to keep the Astros in the game.

Previously, Verlander had signed a substantial contract with the Mets as a free agent in December, but the team’s performance didn’t go as expected, leading to his return to Houston in a trade deal. He felt a sense of familiarity upon rejoining the Astros, making it easy for him to fit back in with the team.

The Yankees managed to capitalize on Verlander’s difficulty finding good command early on, showing patience and hitting some balls hard before the pitcher settled into a more composed rhythm.

Despite a milestone homer by Jose Altuve, the Astros’ offense struggled against Cortes, who allowed only one hit during the game.

Overall, the Astros experienced a minor slump, losing 11 of their last 17 games and striking out 16 times in this particular match.

Looking ahead, the next game in the four-game series will feature Houston’s RHP José Urquidy against New York’s LHP Carlos Rodón. Urquidy is returning from an injury, having been on the injured list since May 1 due to right shoulder discomfort.

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• Justin Verlander’s ESPN Player Profile: Link
• New York Yankees’ Official Website: Link
• Houston Astros’ Official Website: Link
• MLB Official Website: Link
• Jake Bauers’ MLB Player Profile: Link
• Gleyber Torres’ MLB Player Profile: Link
• Nestor Cortes’ MLB Player Profile: Link
• MLB Trade Deadline Information: Link
• Houston Astros’ Recent Game Results: Link
• New York Yankees’ Recent Game Results: Link