Verlander to start for Astros, four division series begin Saturday

Published 10:38 am Friday, October 6, 2023

Two and done. Across the board.

Texas, Minnesota, Arizona and Philadelphia finished off postseason sweeps Wednesday as all four best-of-three wild card series ended in two games.

A pair of road teams advanced — the Rangers and Diamondbacks — while the Twins and Phillies won at home. That makes seven sweeps in eight wild card series during the first two years of expanded playoffs.

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In the American League, Texas will play AL East champion Baltimore in the Division Series, and AL Central champ Minnesota takes on defending World Series champion Houston, which won the AL West, as Twins star shortstop Carlos Correa faces his former team.

Justin Verlander will start Saturday’s Game 1 of the AL Division Series for the Astros.

It will be the 35th career postseason start for Verlander, who returned to the AL West champion Astros in a trade from the New York Mets this summer.

Astros manager Dusty Baker made the announcement Thursday and added that left-hander Framber Valdez would start Game 2 Sunday night.

Verlander, 40, was 13-8 with a 3.22 ERA in 27 starts. The three-time Cy Young Award winner was 7-3 with a 3.31 ERA in 11 starts for Houston after the trade.

The Twins, who won two games over the Blue Jays in the wild card series to advance, have not announced their series starters.

Valdez, 29, was 12-11 with a 3.45 ERA in 31 starts. He threw a no-hitter against the Guardians in August.

In the National League, the young Diamondbacks square off against the NL West champion Los Angeles Dodgers, and the defending NL champion Phillies head to Atlanta for a playoff rematch with the major league-best Braves, who won their sixth consecutive NL East title this year.

The schedule is quiet until all four best-of-five division series begin Saturday.