A few days ago, George Springer (L) shared s sure smile of agreement with new Astro teammate Justin Verlander that clinching the AL WEST feels so good.
ASTRO*NOTES
The 4-game career statistics of Justin Verlander as a Houston Astro speak loudly and plainly for his value to the club’s chances in the forthcoming 2017 post-season playoffs. In fact, it’s now pretty much impossible to think that we even could have entertained serious thoughts of lasting very long without help on his level at the front door of our starting rotation. All things considered, that evidence already had been stacking up at the time that GM Jeff Luhnow and Verlander fiancee Kate Upton went to work as independent forces to make it happen at the literal last minute of legal possibility.
Luhnow had to sell the idea to the Tigers; Upton had to convince Justin that she was 100% supportive of his choice to move on from Detroit for a serious Series run with the Astros. And they both got it done because Justin Verlander wanted it to happen too. Every Verlander body movement and facial expression on the field, in the dugout, or anywhere else on candid camera simply screams the roaring joy of this tiger who came in from the cold for another shot – or more – at baseball’s biggest prize. The guy fits both the team’s baseball needs and its rollicking big bopper temperament to an absolute tee.
Thank you, baseball gods, for smiling sunshine of another more spiritual nature upon our Harvey-soaked Houston baseball landscape of the mind!
And, oh yes, here’s the briefest of summaries on the so-far dazzling Astros career of the already great Justin Verlander.
The real story lays within the heart and soul of this smiling assassin of enemy team hitting excess:
| ASTRO STATS | W | L | ERA | G/GS/CG | IP | R/ER | HR | H | BB | SO | HBP |
| Justin Verlander | 4 | 0 | 0.64 | 4/4/0 | 28.0 | 2/2 | 2 | 11 | 5 | 32 | 1 |
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HOME FIELD ADVANTAGE RACES, GB IN EACH
THRU GAMES PLAYED FRIDAY, 9/22/2017
| CLUB | W | L | W% | AL | NL | WS | |||
| DODGERS | 98 | 56 | .636 | ~ | L | L | |||
| INDIANS | 96 | 58 | .623 | L | ~ | 2.0 | |||
| ASTROS | 94 | 59 | .614 | 1.5 | ~ | 3.5 | |||
| NATIONALS | 92 | 61 | .601 | ~ | 5.5 | 5.5 |
L = LEADER BY LEAGUE AND WS OVERALL.
Overall Leader gets home field advantage (HFA) in World Series.
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HOME FIELD ADVANTAGE SERIOUS CONTENDER SCORES
THRU GAMES PLAYED FRIDAY, 9/22/2017
ASTROS 3 – ANGELS 0
MARINERS 3 – INDIANS 1
METS 7 – NATIONALS 6
DODGERS 4 – GIANTS 2
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AMERICAN LEAGUE BATTING AVERAGE LEADERS
THRU GAMES PLAYED FRIDAY, 9/22/2017
| RANK | PLAYER | TEAM | AB | H | 2B | 3B | HR | BA |
| 1 | JOSE ALTUVE | HOU | 566 | 196 | 38 | 4 | 24 | .346 |
| 2 | AVISAIL GARCIA | CWS | 488 | 161 | 23 | 4 | 17 | .330 |
| 3 | ERIC HOSMER | KC | 575 | 184 | 30 | 1 | 24 | .320 |
| 4 | JOSH REDDICK | HOU | 473 | 150 | 34 | 4 | 13 | .317 |
| 5 | JOSE RAMERIZ | CLE | 557 | 174 | 51 | 6 | 27 | .312 |
| 6 | JOE MAUER | MIN | 504 | 155 | 35 | 1 | 7 | .308 |
| 7 | JOSE ABREU | CWS | 594 | 181 | 41 | 6 | 31 | .305 |
| 8 | LORENZO CAIN | KC | 558 | 169 | 26 | 5 | 14 | .303 |
| 9 | ELVIS ANDRUS | TEX | 609 | 182 | 42 | 4 | 20 | .299 |
| 10 | YULI GURRIEL | HOU | 502 | 150 | 39 | 1 | 18 | .299 |
| OTHER TOP 40 | ||||||||
| RANK | HOUSTON ASTROS | TEAM | AB | H | 2B | 3B | HR | BA |
| NR * | CARLOS CORREA | HOU | 391 | 116 | 20 | 1 | 21 | .297 |
| 14 | MARWIN GONZALEZ | HOU | 432 | 126 | 30 | 0 | 22 | .292 |
| 21 | GEORGE SPRINGER | HOU | 521 | 148 | 28 | 0 | 32 | .284 |
| 27 | ALEX BREGMAN | HOU | 520 | 145 | 36 | 5 | 16 | .279 |
NR * LOST TIME ON THE DL HAS TEMPORARILY REMOVED CORREA FROM AN OFFICIAL QUALIFYING PLACE IN THE RANKING OF TOP 40 HITTERS.
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Bill McCurdy
Principal Writer, Editor, Publisher
The Pecan Park Eagle
The Pecan Park Eagle 
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