Astros clinch home field through WS. Verlander gets 3000th career strikeout, 300th for season.

Justin Verlander added more lore to his already legendary career tonight, becoming only the 18th pitcher in history to throw 3000 or more strikeouts. At age 36 he also surpassed his own single season best, accumulating 300 k’s in 2019. He and Gerrit Cole are the first tandem in the major leagues to each have 300 or more strikeouts since Randy Johnson and Curt Shilling in 2002.

The Astros won tonight in come from behind fashion, as the Angels jumped out to a 3-0 lead after a Brian Goodwin solo homer in the first, and an Andrelton Simmons two-run homer in the fourth.

The Astros chipped away in the sixth on a two-run homer by Jose Altuve, his career high 31st of the season. The Astros took the lead on red-hot Josh Reddick’s three run blast in the seventh inning, his 14th.

The Astros added an insurance run in the eighth on an Altuve RBI double that scored Kyle Tucker.

Verlander ends the season with a 21-6 record. That is the most wins in Astros history since Mike Hampton won 22 in 1999. Regarding the race for Cy Young with teammate Gerrit Cole, if Cole wins tomorrow’s game he will finish with 20 wins. Currently Verlander’s ERA is just a few one hundredths higher than Cole’s and Verlander’s 300 strikeouts is well below the 316 accrued by Cole going into tomorrow’s final game of the season.

Tomorrow’s performance by Cole could well be the determining factor in a race for Cy Young that is too close to call. See poll below.

Box score and videos HERE.

Tomorrow’s game, the final regular season game of the year, is at 2:07 CDT.