Despite the fact that they had just watched Justin Verlander yield six earned runs to a 62–92 Los Angeles Angels, Houston Astros fans recognized how special the moment in front of them was as manager Joe Espada emerged from the dugout to take the ball from the 41-year-old righthander in the fifth inning of Friday’s game at Minute Maid Park.
Verlander, a free agent after the season, has struggled mightily since returning from a stint on the injured list due to a neck injury on Aug. 21. And with the playoffs around the corner, there is certainly some doubt as to whether or not Verlander will make the club’s postseason roster.
In other words, there’s a chance that Friday was the last time Astros fans will see Verlander at Minute Maid Park as a member of the club.
And they treated the moment as such, showering the veteran pitcher with a warm, standing ovation in a video shared by @StadiumStephy on X (formerly Twitter).
After the game, Verlander said the moment “touched him.”
“These fans know the game, they pay attention,” Verlander said. “They know I’m out there grinding and trying to give everything I can.”
“I’ve worked as hard as humanly possible trying to bounce back as quick as I can from the injury and get back out there, and for them to have that ovation after such a difficult day, yeah, they touched me.”
In his efforts to return quickly for the Astros’ postseason push, Verlander admitted he may have came back “too fast.”
In 16 starts this season, Verlander has pitched to a 4-6 record with a 5.55 ERA and 69 strikeouts in 84 1/3 innings pitched. The Astros’ magic number to clinch the American League West is four.
