When Justin Verlander signed with the Mets this past offseason, he probably expected to be playing October baseball at Citi Field. But a shockingly poor season from the Mets led to the three-time Cy Young Award winner getting postseason baseball in a familiar place elsewhere.
Saturday’s Game 1 of the American League Division Series was a perfect example of why the Astros traded back for Verlander in August. He was sensational on the afternoon, and the Twins’ Edouard Julien would probably agree.
Verlander went six innings of scoreless, four-hit baseball in the 6-4 win, and no moment summed up his dominant outing better than his fifth-inning strikeout of Julien.
Justin Verlander, Expelliarmus Curveball. 🪄 pic.twitter.com/Iuo3cUcqZh
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) October 7, 2023
The 77 mph curveball sent both Julien’s bat and helmet flying in opposite directions. Like, whoa.
Julien doubled off Verlander in his first at-bat, but after that, we know who won that battle. Of course MLB fans roasted Julien for the wild swing. It’s never a good sign when equipment goes sailing everywhere.