Justin Verlander, with no plans to decelerate, faces Phils

As Justin Verlander treks toward 300 career wins, the veteran right-hander knows he will need a combination of strong pitching and fortuitous health to reach the milestone.

Verlander appears to have regained his health following a lengthy absence, and he will continue his comeback on Tuesday when the visiting Houston Astros oppose the Philadelphia Phillies.

After missing 2 1/2 months due to neck stiffness, Verlander (3-3, 3.92 ERA) returned Wednesday against the Boston Red Sox and gave up two runs and four hits in five innings, striking out six and walking one. He was pulled after 76 pitches.

“I felt good,” Verlander said. “I felt like the stuff was pretty good, and as the game went along, the location started to hone in and the mechanics felt good. So I was happy about it.”

Verlander, who owns a 260-144 career record, made an appearance on ESPN on Sunday night and noted that he has no plans to seek retirement after this season. The 41-year-old veteran alluded to the magical 300-win club, which has just 24 members.

“Only time will tell. I’m not trying to put a cap on anything,” Verlander said regarding how much longer he would continue playing. “I put in all the work behind the scenes. There’s a big, shiny number that I would really like to get to that’s going to be a few years away. I’ve got a lot of goals.”

On Tuesday, Verlander’s immediate goal is to silence the Phillies, who enter with some momentum after notching a 3-2 walk-off victory on Monday in the series opener. Bryce Harper delivered the game-ending single and finished 2-for-3 with two walks for Philadelphia, which has won three games in a row.

“I thought it was a real good effort,” Phillies manager Rob Thomson said. “We showed a lot of toughness and resilience tonight.”

Shay Whitcomb drove in both runs for Houston, while Alex Bregman had two hits. Yordan Alvarez went 1-for-4 with a walk after missing the previous three games with a stiff neck.

“Just one hit away, but our at-bats were really good,” Houston manager Joe Espada said.

In the Tuesday contest, the Astros’ sluggers will take aim at Aaron Nola (11-6, 3.45 ERA), who has not won in his past seven starts. Nola received a no-decision on Wednesday after allowing two runs in 5 1/3 innings against the Atlanta Braves.

“I think every win is important right now,” said Nola, whose team holds a six-game lead over the Atlanta Braves in the National League East.

The Phillies right-hander has dominated the Astros in his career, going 3-0 with a 0.44 ERA in three starts. He struggled against Houston in the 2022 World Series, though, going 0-1 with an 8.64 ERA in two starts.

Verlander owns a similar record against Philadelphia, as he is 3-0 with a 1.42 ERA in three starts. He also went 1-0 with a 5.40 ERA in two starts against the Phillies in the 2022 World Series.

Philadelphia will continue to play the series without left-handed reliever Jose Alvarado, who was placed on the restricted list on Monday due to a personal issue. It is unclear how long he will be away from the team.

“We’ve got to win,” Harper said. “That’s about it. Just got to go out there and win games.”

–Field Level Media