
Justin Verlander will pitch in the fifth World Series of his eventual Hall of Fame career when starting Game 1 for the Houston Astros.
The 39-year-old will accomplish a noteworthy feat when taking the mound against the Philadelphia Phillies on Friday night. As noted by MLB.com’s Anthony Castrovince, Verlander will join Roger Clemens as the only pitcher to make a World Series start in three decades.
Jim Palmer pitched in 1966, 1979, and 1983, but he made his last World Series appearance from the bullpen.
Unfortunately for Verlander, those trips haven’t all gone well. He has a 5.68 ERA with nine home runs allowed in seven starts
When pitching for the Detroit Tigers in the 2006 Fall Classic, the rookie allowed 10 runs (seven earned) in two losses. His spectacular performance in the 2012 postseason brought the Tigers back to the World Series, but he yielded five runs in his lone start against the San Francisco Giants.
After dominating the New York Yankees in the 2017 ALCS, Verlander reversed his World Series woes with two quality starts. The Astros defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers in seven games.
The Astros have made the World Series four times since acquiring Verlander in 2017, but the ace was recovering from Tommy John surgery last year. Yet it didn’t long for Verlander to get another crack at competing for a championship.
Despite making just one start over the last two seasons, Verlander returned to register a 1.75 ERA and 220 strikeouts in his 17th season. Already likely to win his third Cy Young Award, he’d also like to add a second ring to his collection.
Verlander will commence the World Series when the Astros host the Phillies on Friday night. The game begins at 8:03 p.m. ET on FOX.