Superstar pitcher Justin Verlander will take the mound for the defending champion Houston Astros against the visiting Texas Rangers on Sunday, when the Major League Baseball playoffs resume.
The 40-year-old American right-hander, a three-time winner of the Cy Young Award as best pitcher, has been a key figure in the Astros dynasty, playing in the American League Championship Series for a seventh consecutive campaign.
"What's so magical about this team is these guys don't take a day off," Verlander said. "They don't take anything for granted and come with desire.
"I know that sounds weird being in the playoffs, but when you've been to the playoffs as many times as we have in a row, I think it's harder to not take things for granted, but we surely do not."
The Astros are trying to become the first World Series repeat champion since the New York Yankees took three in a row from 1998 to 2000. In their epic run, Houston have won six AL West division titles and four AL crowns as well as the World Series in 2017 and last year.
The Astros are facing an AL West division rival in the best-of-seven AL final. Houston took the regular-season series with the Rangers 9-4 and edged their in-state rivals to capture the division title on the final day of the regular season.
"It's going to be a good battle," Astros outfielder Michael Brantley said. "We're really familiar with one another. I know we have a lot of history and we look forward to going out there game one and competing against them."
Upstarts Philadelphia and Arizona will meet in the National League Championship Series starting Monday in Philadelphia.
The Phillies eliminated MLB wins leader Atlanta in the second round. The Braves had finished 14 games ahead in the NL East division. The Diamondbacks swept the Los Angeles Dodgers, who led Arizona by 16 games in the NL West.
The Rangers, in their first ALCS since 2011, swept AL wins leader Baltimore in the second round while Houston ousted Minnesota.
"It's going to be a test," Astros outfielder Chas McCormick said. "A little AL West rivalry and it's going to be fun. We play these guys a lot, and that's a good team over there, so we need to show up."
Verlander, a nine-time All-Star and the 2011 AL Most Valuable Player, missed the 2021 season after "Tommy John" tendon-replacement surgery but returned to help Houston win the World Series last season before becoming a free agent.
He signed a two-year deal worth $86 million with the New York Mets but the struggling club traded him to Houston in August and, after his return to the Astros, Verlander went 7-3 with a 3.31 earned-run average over 11 starts, then allowed only one run aver 13 playoff innings in triumphs over Seattle and Minnesota.
Verlander's 17 career playoff wins are only two shy of the record of 19 set by former Astros and Yankees pitcher Andy Pettitte.
"I certainly couldn't have planned this or seen it coming, but obviously, things work out for a reason," Verlander said.
The Rangers have only reached the ALCS twice before, in 2010 and 2011. They won both but then lost the World Series each time.
- Momentum a Phillies key -
Arizona, tries to make the World Series for the first time since 2001, when they ended the Yankees' title run.
The Phillies, who lost last year's World Series to the Astros in six games, have not won the MLB crown since 2008.
Philadelphia's Nick Castellanos became the first player in MLB history to hit multiple homers in back-to-back playoff games when he blasted two solo homers in each of the two home wins that ended Atlanta's hopes.
In both contests, the outfielder's blasts swung the game to the Phillies when it seemed Atlanta might seize command.
"We know how important momentum is in these post-season games," Castellanos said.
"Anytime you feel it may be swinging in the other direction, we do a very good job of locking it in to get the momentum back in our favor."
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