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 his future with the Astros is in question.
At 41 years old, Verlander may even consider retirement after 2024. If so, he will complete a tremendous career. Although Verlander has dealt with injuries and underperformance this season, Saturday’s game displayed that Verlander can still compete at a high level in the big leagues.
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.
Astros could be dangerous in postseason
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.
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.
Opponents understand that they cannot afford to take the Astros for granted. Houston has a chance to make some noise in October.
