<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/astros-news-houston-stunning-justin-verlander-decision');   ga('set', 'title', 'Astros make stunning Justin Verlander decision');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Houston-makes-stunning-Justin-Ve1rlander-decision.jpg"></figure><h1>Astros make stunning Justin Verlander decision</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-10-01T09:20:11-07:00">October 1st, 9:20am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-10-01T09:20:11-07:00">October 1st, 9:20am</time><address><a>Dan Fappiano</a>Dan Fappiano is a Connecticut based sports journalist and a graduate of both Tunxis Community College and Central Connecticut State University. Dan has spent time covering high school and professional sports in both the print and online medium. He hopes to see his beloved Chicago Bears win a Super Bowl someday.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">MLB</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Houston Astros are gearing up for a Wild Card playoff matchup against the Detroit Tigers. However, the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/astros-news-justin-verlander-uncertain-houston-future">Astros will be without Justin Verlander</a>.</p><p>Houston has left Verlander <a href="https://x.com/ByRobertMurray/status/1841131444954923236" rel="noopener">off of</a> their Wild Card roster, via Robert Murray of FanSided. While he will be eligible to pitch in further series should the Astros advance, Verlander will not have the opportunity to face his former team.</p><p>While Verlander is a likely Hall of Famer, his 2024 numbers have left a lot to be desired. He holds a 5.48 ERA and a 74/27 K/BB ratio. Verlander spent a lot of time on the shelf and wasn’t his normal effective self when he was on the mound.</p><p>He offers plenty of experience and playoff pedigree, but Houston decided that Verlander’s struggles were too risky. The Astros will enter their Tigers matchup relying on their remaining pitchers and AL West winning surge to advance in the postseason.</p><p>What his exile off the roster means for the rest of the playoffs and Justin Verlander’s future in Houston is unknown.</p><h2><b>State of Astros’ pitching rotation entering playoffs</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Justin-Verlander.jpg"><figcaption>Troy Taormina-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>While the Astros felt they could afford leaving Verlander at home, Houston’s pitching staff has been decimated by injuries throughout the season. Five players are on the 60-day injured list as the playoffs open.</p><p>Houston will be turning their attention to players such as Framber Valdez, Yusei Kikuchi and Ronel Blanco. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/astros-news-yusei-kikuchi-of-astros-proving-to-be-steal-of-mlb-trade-deadline">Kikuchi holds an impressive</a> 2.70 ERA and a 76/14 K/BB ratio over his 10 starts with the Astros. Blanco is right behind him with a 2.80 ERA and a 166/68 K/BB ratio. Valdez, who Houston named their Game 1 starter against Detroit, has pitched to a 2.91 ERA and a 169/55 K/BB ratio.</p><p>As a whole, the Astros’ starting rotation ranks ninth in the league with their 3.81 ERA. Their .233 batting average against is second in the league while 111 home runs allowed are tied for the 11th-fewest. Houston’s 326 walks allowed are the third-fewest.</p><p>At least for now, the Astros believe their rotation is better off without Justin Verlander in it. He is a legend in the game, but his 2024 campaign hasn’t been up to par. Houston will look to take down Detroit and move on in the postseason before making a further decision on Verlander.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Astros make stunning Justin Verlander decision

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/astros-news-justin-verlander-uncertain-houston-future');   ga('set', 'title', 'Justin Verlander gets 100% real on uncertain Astros future');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Astros-news-Justin-Verlander-gets-100-real-about-uncertain-future-with-Houston.jpg"></figure><h1>Justin Verlander gets 100% real on uncertain Astros future</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-09-28T19:30:12-07:00">September 28th, 7:30pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-09-28T19:30:12-07:00">September 28th, 7:30pm</time><address><a href="https://www.facebook.com/joey.mistretta/" rel="facebook">Joey Mistretta</a>Joey Mistretta is a Dallas Mavericks beat reporter, Dallas Wings beat reporter and lead MLB editor for ClutchPoints. He is originally from Lake Arrowhead, California. Mistretta graduated from Biola University with a degree in broadcast journalism.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">MLB</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Houston Astros defeated the Cleveland Guardians 4-3 on Saturday night. Both teams are already headed to the playoffs, but Houston still wants to end the regular season on a high note. Astros future Hall of Famer Justin Verlander led the way in the victory, turning in six innings of three run baseball while striking out five hitters. Verlander is going to enter free agency during the offseason, though, so <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb-rumors-insider-potential-justin-verlander-tigers-reunion">his future with the Astros is in question</a>.</p><p>“If I end up back here, great. Love Houston, love the people, love my teammates,” Verlander <a href="https://x.com/brianmctaggart/status/1840203773580280078" rel="noopener">said after Saturday’s game</a>, via Brian McTaggart of MLB.com. “I’ve had an incredible run. If not, tip your cap and say ‘thank you’ for an incredible journey.”</p><p>At 41 years old, Verlander may even consider retirement after 2024. If so, he will complete a tremendous career. Although <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/astros-news-justin-verlander-honest-struggles-vs-reds">Verlander has dealt with injuries and underperformance this season</a>, Saturday’s game displayed that Verlander can still compete at a high level in the big leagues.</p><p>Verlander has struggled in 2024. Yet, he is a veteran with plenty of postseason experience. Houston is hopeful that Verlander can find consistency and help to lead the ball club to their third World Series victory within the last 10 years.</p><h2><b>Astros could be dangerous in postseason</b></h2><p>The Astros will be the No. 3 seed, as they won the American League West. The New York Yankees and Guardians clinched the top two seeds in the American League, so they will not play in the Wild Card round. Houston will play the No. 6 seed in the Wild Card round. The winner of the series will go head-to-head with the No. 2 seed in the American League Division Series.</p><p>The Yankees are expected to make a serious World Series run. Cleveland cannot be counted out given their strong season. With that being said, Houston understands what it takes to find success in the postseason. After all, they won the World Series in both 2017 and 2022.</p><p>Opponents understand that they cannot afford to take the Astros for granted. Houston has a chance to make some noise in October.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Justin Verlander gets 100% real on uncertain Astros future

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb-rumors-insider-potential-justin-verlander-tigers-reunion');   ga('set', 'title', 'MLB Rumors: Insider floats potential Justin Verlander-Tigers reunion');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/09-18-24-verlander-featured.jpg"></figure><h1>MLB Rumors: Insider floats potential Justin Verlander-Tigers reunion</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-09-18T16:33:30-07:00">September 18th, 4:33pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-09-18T16:33:30-07:00">September 18th, 4:33pm</time><address><a>David Korn</a>David Korn is an MLB associate editor at ClutchPoints. He is also a producer at MLB Network Radio and covers college basketball for A10Talk. David graduated from George Washington in 2023, where he was the radio play-by-play broadcaster for their Men's and Women's Basketball teams.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">MLB</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Detroit Tigers have been one of the biggest surprises of the 2024 season and are on the cusp of completing a shocking, last-second push for the third and final American League Wild Card spot. After <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/detroit-tigers">Tuesday’s extra inning victory</a> over the Kansas City Royals, the Tigers are just 1 1/2 games back of the Minnesota Twins in the Wild Card race.</p><p>With a young core and very little money on their payroll, the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb-rumors-tigers-free-agency-plans-massive-upgrade">Tigers could be in position to make some significant moves</a> this offseason. A future Hall of Famer who began his career in Detroit could be one of the players the Tigers target, according to MLB.com insider Mark Feinsand.</p><p>“I could see GM Scott Harris try to sign Justin Verlander to a homecoming, finish-your-career-back-in-Detroit kind of deal,” Feinsand wrote.</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/astros-news-justin-verlander-what-learned-amid-injury-rehab">Verlander, who has dealt with neck issues</a> this season, will not meet the necessary 140-inning threshold that would trigger his $35 million vesting player option for the 2025 season. That means that he would likely enter free agency instead of returning to the Houston Astros ahead of his age-42 season.</p><p>A player of Verlander’s age also would likely not ask for more than a one or two-year contract. That way, the Tigers could offer Verlander a competitive short-term deal while still prioritizing locking up their young stars to extensions.</p><h2><b>What Justin Verlander could bring to the Detroit Tigers in 2025</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/09-18-24-verlander-image.jpg"><figcaption>© Troy Taormina-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Verlander has struggled so far in 2024 in what has arguably been the worst season of his historic 19-year career. Through 15 starts, Verlander has a 4-6 record with a 5.20 ERA and 7.3 SO/9. With the way the rest of the Astros rotation has performed, Verlander’s status in a potential postseason rotation is in doubt.</p><p>With the Tigers, Verlander would not necessarily be expected to be a Cy Young candidate. In a rotation led by <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/tigers-news-tarik-skubal-shares-big-goal-amid-cy-young-caliber-campaign-win-vs-yankees">likely AL Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal</a> and two of the most promising young pitchers in baseball Reese Olson and Keider Montero, Verlander could step back into more of a veteran leadership role and focus on being a mentor.</p><p>Verlander had an incredible 12-and-a-half seasons with the Tigers before being traded to the Astros in at the trade deadline in 2017. He was the Rookie of the Year in 2006, won the Cy Young and MVP in 2011 and was named an All-Star six times. Verlander also led the Tigers to four AL Central titles, and a World Series berth in 2012.</p><p>It is clear that this current Tigers group has talent and is just missing a few veteran pieces. Even though he is nearing the end of his career, Verlander would be a perfect fit to usher in the next generation of superstars in Detroit.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

MLB Rumors: Insider floats potential Justin Verlander-Tigers reunion

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/diamondbacks-news-pavin-smith-reacts-lighting-up-justin-verlander');   ga('set', 'title', 'Diamondbacks’ Pavin Smith reacts to bashing around Justin Verlander in 3-HR game');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Diamondbacks-news-Pavin-Smith-reacts-to-bashing-around-Justin-Verlander-in-3-HR-game.jpg"></figure><h1>Diamondbacks’ Pavin Smith reacts to bashing around Justin Verlander in 3-HR game</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-09-09T11:34:25-07:00">September 9th, 11:34am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-09-09T11:35:02-07:00">September 9th, 11:35am</time><address><a href="https://haydencilley.wixsite.com/hayden-cilley-s-port">Hayden Cilley</a>Hayden Cilley joined ClutchPoints in August 2024 as a Phoenix Suns and Mercury reporter, as well as an Associate Editor. Hayden graduated from the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism at Arizona State University while covering events like the 2023 NCAA Men's Final Four, the 2024 Vrbo Fiesta Bowl and the Arizona State men's swim and dive team. He recently covered the Phoenix Mercury for The Next Hoops and PHNX Sports.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">MLB</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Arizona Diamondbacks right fielder and first baseman Pavin Smith made history on Sunday. He recorded <a href="https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/41187789/pavin-smith-homers-first-3-bats-diamondbacks-win" rel="noopener">three home runs</a> against the Houston Astros, two of which were against Astros starting pitcher, Justin Verlander.</p><p>“Just one of those nights where you’re in a zone,” Smith said, via ESPN. “Obviously, Justin’s a great pitcher. I faced him before, and he’s got great stuff, so once I was able to put a good swing the first at-bat it gave me confidence the rest of the game.”</p><p>Smith went hitless in his last two games, one of which he was a pinch hitter. His resurgence in Sunday’s 12-6 win over the Astros <a href="https://www.mlb.com/news/pavin-smith-tallies-three-homers-eight-rbis-vs-astros#:~:text=Pavin%20Smith%20had%20a%20career,night%20at%20Minute%20Maid%20Park." rel="noopener">marked a career-high eight RBIs</a> in a single game. A grand slam, a three-run home run, and a solo shot led Smith to bringing in 75% of the Diamondbacks runs. His manager had all the confidence in the world in his left-handed slugger.</p><p>“It was a great day for Pavin,” Torey Lovullo said afterwards. “Pavin can hit. We always feel comfortable with his at-bats, his ability to come in the lineup after not playing for a couple of days and be able to barrel up the baseball.”</p><h2><b>Can Pavin Smith help spark the offense for the Diamondbacks?</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Pavin-Smith-highlights-Diamondbacks-win-with-a-3-HR-game.jpg"><figcaption>© Troy Taormina-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>The Diamondbacks have certainly struggled in September after <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/diamondbacks-news-torey-lovullo-issues-blunt-promise-after-loss-to-dodgers">finishing August with a loss against the Los Angeles Dodgers</a>. They have a 4-4 record and lost the weekend series to the Astros. Before then, they were humbled by the New York Mets and the Dodgers, losing both of those series at home. </p><p>They are still dealing with injuries and some returning players. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/diamondbacks-news-christian-walker-lourdes-gurriel-jr">Christian Walker made his return</a> after missing August with an oblique injury. All-star Ketel Marte recently joined the lineup after <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/diamondbacks-news-ketel-marte-in-lineup-after-il-stint">being on the IL</a> with an ankle injury. Despite the plethora of tough injuries, the Diamondbacks have over 80% odds to make the playoffs in the Wild Card spot.</p><p>With the last three of four season series against division rivals, Arizona needs to break out of its September slump and revert to its old swagger. Smith showcased that swagger when searching for his third home run against the Astros.</p><p>“It’s something that not many people have done, and I figure if you have the chance you might as well go for it,” Smith said.</p><p>As the Diamondbacks look to punch their playoff ticket, they’ll need more consistent offensive firepower, in addition to better pitching. Arizona takes on the Texas Rangers back in Phoenix for a short two-game series.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Diamondbacks’ Pavin Smith reacts to bashing around Justin Verlander in 3-HR game

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/astros-news-justin-verlander-honest-struggles-vs-reds');   ga('set', 'title', 'Justin Verlander gets brutally honest about struggles vs. Reds');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Astros-news-Justin-Verlander-gets-brutally-honest-about-struggles-vs.-Reds-1.jpg"></figure><h1>Justin Verlander gets brutally honest about struggles vs. Reds</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-09-02T19:46:24-07:00">September 2nd, 7:46pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-09-02T19:46:24-07:00">September 2nd, 7:46pm</time><address><a>Russell Steinberg</a>Russell Steinberg covers Major League Baseball and the New York Liberty for ClutchPoints. A baseball and basketball lifer, he has written for Boardroom, SLAM, SB Nation, The Next, and more. He graduated from NYU in 2012 and still returns to serve as PA announcer and occasional broadcaster for the school’s basketball and volleyball teams.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">MLB</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Justin Verlander has pitched in the majors for 19 seasons and at 41 years old, he knows when he has it and when he doesn’t.</p><p>For a while on Monday, he didn’t. His <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/3-astros-breakout-september-playoffs">AL West-leading Houston Astros</a> lost 5-3 to the Cincinnati Reds, with Verlander putting his team in an early hole. The three-time Cy Young winner <a href="https://www.espn.com/mlb/recap/_/gameId/401570534" rel="noopener">walked the bases loaded</a> in the first inning before a TJ Friedl sacrifice fly and Ty France base hit put the Reds up 2-0.</p><p>“I was all over the place in that first inning,” Verlander told reporters after the game. “The mechanics, not good. The location needed to be better. I made some decent pitches that weren’t called but it’s hard to get pitches when you’re all over the place.”</p><p>It’s not often that a pitcher will take the blame for not getting calls. He’s right, though — umpires tend to not give the benefit of the doubt to a pitcher who can’t find the strike zone.</p><p>Verlander settled down from there, holding Cincinnati scoreless in the second, third, and fourth innings, allowing the Houston offense to even the score.</p><p>It came apart in the fifth, however, when Santiago Espinal hit a pop fly that fell between three Houston fielders as two runs came home. Amed Rosario then knocked in Espinal to make it 5-2.</p><p>Verlander’s final line: 4.2 innings, 5 runs, 8 hits, 4 walks, 3 strikeouts. It was another rough outing for the future Hall of Famer as <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/astros-news-justin-verlander-regrets-mistake-in-loss-to-phillies">Verlander struggles to find consistency</a> after missing more than two months with an injury.</p><p>“I felt the last few innings, especially the last couple, were a lot better,” Verlander added. “In the fifth inning, it was a tough pill to swallow.”</p><h2><b>Astros ace Justin Verlander is still searching for his stuff</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Justin-Verlander-Astros.jpg"><figcaption>Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption></figure><p>Verlander <a href="https://www.mlb.com/astros/news/justin-verlander-struggles-in-astros-loss-to-reds" rel="noopener">knows that trying to find his old form</a> midseason is difficult. Not only is he working things out against live hitters in games that matter, but those hitters are at their regular season peak.</p><p>“I’m trying to be realistic with myself and knowing that I’ve been shut down for a while,” Verlander said, per Jeff Wallner of MLB.com. “That’s what Spring Training is for, to work out kinks. It’s hard to do it midseason, especially when guys are in midseason form and you’re not.”</p><p>It doesn’t help that Verlander is used to being an ace. Just two years ago, in his age 39 season, he finished with a career-best 1.75 ERA en route to another Cy Young Award and a second World Series ring with the Astros.</p><p>“I’m not a patient person,” Verlander continued. “It is difficult for me not to do too much. I know when I’m right on the mound. I’m constantly striving to get to that level, and I’m not there. Lots of sleepless nights. That’s why I’m trying to be fair and giving myself more margin for error than I normally would.”</p><p>The Astros are headed back to the playoffs and Verlander figures to be a major piece to the postseason puzzle. He has a career 3.58 postseason ERA with two rings and a 2017 ALCS MVP award.</p><p>His team around him has put him in position to pick up more hardware if he can get back to his old self.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

2024 SEASON STATS
IP	ERA	K	WHIP	WINS
271	5.48	74	1.38	5

2024 SEASON STATS
IP	ERA	K	WHIP	WINS
271	5.48	74	1.38	5

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