For a while, Houston Astros ace Justin Verlander looked set to take on the Philadelphia Phillies in Game 1 of the World Series. He didn’t allow a runner through the first three innings Friday night, but that all changed in the fourth, even as he went 5-0.
Verlander allowed Rhys Hoskins one out, and the second was out. At this point, the Phillies did what they did all of October: tie the two hits together. Bryce Harper and Nick Castellanos singled, then Alec Bohm plated two with a double. Rookie Bryson Stott made a 10-spacing walk before Verlander was able to avoid further damage by letting Jean Segura pop.
The Astros went into the fifth with a 5-3 lead, but Verlander struggled again. His frame goes like this: doubles, walks, pops, doubles, ground outs, strikeouts. After all, the score was tied and Verlander and the Astros were already five points ahead. Verlander, who probably should have been relieved early in the fifth, ended up working five innings, giving up five of five hits, five strikeouts and two walks. Hours later, the Astros bowed their heads in the 10th inning, losing 6-5.
Verlander is a future Hall of Famer who could win his third Cy Young in his 39-year-old campaign this year. But he struggled in the World Series throughout his career. Verlander is 0-6 going into Game 1 with a career ERA of 5.68 in seven World Series starts. After Friday, the numbers needed an update, and it turns out Verlander made a kind of unfortunate history:
Yes, Verlander’s updated World Series ERA of 6.07 is the worst ever among pitchers with at least 30 World Series innings. Despite Verlander’s poor performance in Game 1 on Friday, it’s arguably not the worst World Series start of his career. In his first game against the Giants in 2012, he conceded five points in four innings; in his first game against the Cardinals in 2006, he allowed six runs in five innings. As you might have guessed, the first game was particularly unfriendly to Verlander:
As for his recent first-game loss, he’s turning 40 and he’s undergoing Tommy John’s surgery. Combined, the regular season and playoffs, he has now played 190 innings in 2022. Maybe it’s catching up with him, or maybe it’s just one of those baseball oddities that happens every now and then. Chances are, Verlander will get some redemption by starting again in this World Series. For now, though, his repeated struggles at the top of the stakes are a far cry from the glorious rest of his career.