‘A match not to be missed!’ First-ever Verlander-Schuesser matchup, 467 wins and 6 CYA combined
Yesterday’s comrades are today’s enemies, and that’s a common occurrence in the world of sports.
Still, this matchup is special and dramatic. Two of Major League Baseball’s best right-handed aces, Justin Verlander (40, Houston Astros) and Max Scherzer (39, Texas Rangers), will meet for the first time ever.
First pitch is set for 9:05 a.m. ET on July 7 at Texas’ home field, Globe Life Field. The final game of this three-game series pits veteran aces Verlander and Scherzer against each other. This is the first time the two have met as adversaries.
As is widely known, the two were longtime teammates on the Detroit Tigers. Verlander, who is a year older, made his major league debut in 2005 and spent more than 12 seasons in Detroit until he was traded to Houston in late August 2017. Scherzer, who debuted with the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2008, was traded to Detroit in December 2009 and spent five seasons with Verlander until he signed a free agent contract with the Washington Nationals in late 2014.
After Verlander won the AL Cy Young Award in 2011, Scherzer followed suit two years later in 2013 with his first career Cy Young Award. With the one-two punch on the mound, Detroit was a powerhouse, reaching the postseason in four straight seasons from 2011-2014. In 2012, they were World Series runners-up together.
After some time apart, the two reunited this season with the New York Mets. A year after Scherzer joined the Mets as a free agent last year after stints with Washington and the Los Angeles Dodgers, Verlander left Houston to become a free agent this year.
However, his time with the Mets ended just four months into the season. The Mets forfeited the postseason and traded Scherzer to Texas and Verlander to Houston. Of course, the trades were made with the consent of both players. That was in late July and early August.
And with both teams in the same AL West division, a three-game series between the two veteran aces has been arranged.
On his relationship with Scherzer, Verlander recently told ESPN, “We’re looking at each other through different lenses right now. We’re on different paths, but we both know more than one way to be successful. I can’t speak for Max. We respect each other’s ideas and talk about them. We talk about how we can help each other.”
“It’s going to be a fun match,” said Schuerzer. It’s my first time playing against Vulander. Throughout my career, I’ve played against some of the best players in the world, and I’ve played with some of the best players in the world. I’ve played on the same team with Verlander, and now we’re going to be on the mound against each other, so it’s going to be interesting.”
What makes the matchup so intriguing is that the outcome of the game will directly impact the postseason fate of both teams. As of June 6, Houston is 79-61 and in first place in the AL West. They recently passed the Seattle Mariners for first place. Texas, on the other hand, has been at the top of the division all season, but has recently slipped to third place. Texas is also in dire straits in the AL wild-card standings, falling from the postseason cutoff of third to fourth place with today’s 1-14 loss to Houston.
Texas manager Bruce Bochy said, “I’ve said it many times, I always have a great seat (the dugout manager’s box) and I see some really good players play. It’s fun to see a matchup like this up close. It’s going to be fun to watch.” 카지노
“You’re watching the game as a manager, not as a spectator. They’re different, but they’re similar in their competitiveness and seriousness,” Houston coach Dusty Baker said.
This season, Verlander is 10-7 with a 3.34 ERA and 113 strikeouts in 22 games, while Scherzer is 12-5 with a 3.55 ERA and 168 strikeouts in 25 games.
For their careers, Verlander is 254-140 with a 3.24 ERA and 3311 strikeouts, while Scherzer is 213-107 with a 3.13 ERA and 3361 strikeouts. Both have won the Cy Young Award an equal three times.