Death, taxes and the Houston Astros in the American League Championship Series. Those have been the certainties of life since 2017 as the Astros have made seven straight trips to the ALCS. It looks like an eighth could be in order. Houston is 9-1 in its last 10 and Justin Verlander returns from the injured list Wednesday.
Verlander has not pitched since June 9, missing the past two months with neck soreness. The 41-year-old has made 10 starts this season and compiled a 3-2 record with a 3.95 ERA. He will face a Boston Red Sox team that’s fighting for its playoff life, currently 4.5 games back for the third wild-card spot.
At 68-56, the Astros lead the AL West and they have jumped to the sixth-best record in the American League. The last time Verlander pitched, the Astros had the fourth-worst record in the AL and were third in the division.