] Now it’s Nam. Less than a year after joining forces to win the World Series, they’re going head-to-head in the starting lineup.
Justin Verlander (40-Houston Astros) and Max Scherzer (39-Texas Rangers) took the mound for Houston and Texas, respectively, in the 2023 Major League Baseball game at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas, on July 7.
The visiting Houston lineup consisted of Jose Altuve (second base), Jeremy Peña (shortstop), Jordan Alvarez (designated hitter), Alex Bregman (third base), Kyle Tucker (right field), Jose Abreu (first base), Michael Brantley (left field), Mauricio Dubon (center field), Martin Maldonado (catcher), and starting pitcher Verlander.소닉카지노
For Texas, the starting lineup was Marcus Seamian (2B), Corey Seager (shortstop), Nathaniel Lowe (1B), Adolis Garcia (R), Mitch Garber (designated hitter), Jonah Heim (catcher), Travis Jankowski (left field), Josh Smith (3B), Leodis Tavares (center field), and Scherzer.
Scherzer (left) and Verlander were a pair for the Mets earlier this season.
As the season progressed, the Mets struggled and hovered near the bottom of the standings, and at the trade deadline, the team threw up the white flag by trading away Verlander and Scherzer. The two were separated, and this was the first time they faced each other since the trade.
With two of the best pitchers in the league, there was a lot of hype leading up to the game. However, the game was a bit of a wash. Verlander shut down the Texas lineup, while Scherzer struggled to control the Houston bats.
Both Verlander and Scherzer gave up runs in the first inning. Scherzer gave up a two-run homer to Alvarez in the top of the first, and Verlander gave up a solo shot to leadoff hitter Simeon in the bottom of the first.
Houston took a 2-1 lead in the top of the second. That’s when the fortunes of the two pitchers began to diverge. Houston took a 3-1 lead in the top of the second when Brantley hit a solo shot. In the top of the third, Altuve hit a grand slam to make it 7-1.
Ultimately, Scherzer couldn’t hold on. He was replaced by reliever Chris Stratton in the top of the fourth inning and finished the night. His final line was three innings, six hits (three homers), two walks, four strikeouts, and seven runs.
Scherzer (center) was unable to keep Houston’s offense in check.
On the flip side, Verlander gave up an RBI single to Simeon in the bottom of the fifth inning after his team had loaded the bases on a fielding error to make it 8-1, but he shut them down from there. His final line was seven innings, four hits (one home run), one walk, six strikeouts and two runs (one earned). He improved to 11-7 on the season.
Houston cruised to a 12-3 victory over Texas behind Verlander’s performance. The Astros reached the 80-win plateau for the season, moving to 80-61 and within three games of American League West rival Texas (76-63). In addition to the series sweep, the offense pounded the Texas mound, scoring double-digit runs in each game.
Speaking to MLB.com, the official website of Major League Baseball, after the game, Verlander said, “My goal as a starter was to carry the momentum (to the team). The (great) offense from the bats made this series easy. It’s not the playoffs yet, but it’s time to see what the guys can do with their energy and focus.”