It’s a moment Tigers fans are very used to. Season on the line, win or go home, back against the wall baseball. And who better to have on the mound that the bulldog Justin Verlander. Houston fans tonight will get to share in the joy that Tigers fans have been so long accustomed to.
For years Verlander was the face of our franchise. And when our season was on the line, we turned to him. And each time, he gave us one more game. One more game to hope, one more game to cheer, one more reason to watch our boys in the old English D.
Like in 2011, Game 5 of the ALCS, when the Tigers were in a 3-1 hole against the Texas Rangers. Verlander went 7.1 innings, gave up four runs and earned the win 7-5. He had eight strikeouts in the game and kept our season going for one more game. That game, however, ended our chances when the Rangers beat Max Scherzer in game six.
Or, Like the 2012 ALDS game 5, where we had to beat those pesky A’s from Oakland. What did JV do? He went 9 innings of shutout baseball with 11 strikeouts.
He followed that studly performance up with one almost identical, in the exact same situation, Game 5 of the 2013 ALDS against those damned Athletics. All he did in this game was pitch 8 innings of shutout baseball with 10 strikeouts. Each time clinching the Division Series for the Tigers and moving them on to the next round.
Now, in 2017, he’s in the same situation. When the Astros made the trade to bring Verlander to Houston, this is the exact moment they had in mind. After winning the first two games so their Championship Series with the Yankees, the Astros now return home finding themselves down 3-2 after dropping three straight in the Bronx. Verlander will take the hill looking to extend the Astros season one more time.
What does Verlander have to say about these situations? “I love these opportunities,” Verlander told USA Today’s, Luis L. Ortiz. Then Verlander continued, “…to pitch in these atmospheres, these type of games. It should be fun.”
Houston fans, one word of advice: enjoy the hell out of this game. This is the reason you traded us for him, the reason we all had such a tough time letting him go. It will be special, it will be exciting, and it will nothing Tigers fans aren’t used to. So from one adopted Houston fan (until the end of the season of course) to JV and the rest of Astros Nation, have fun and good luck, it’ll be one hell of a ride.
