Plus: Verlander shares day-of-game routine
HOUSTON -- In the wake of this year's early exits by the 100-plus-win Dodgers, Orioles and Braves, the five-day layoff between the end of the regular season and the start of the Division Series under the current playoff format has been a topic of conversation. The layoff hasn't affected Houston, which is the only team that received a first-round bye -- and the only remaining division champion -- competing in a League Championship Series. The Astros, who snatched away the American League West title and a bye on the final day of the regular season, will face the Rangers in Game 1 of the ALCS on Sunday. "We know what we've got to get done to get the team rolling," Astros shortstop Jeremy Peña said. "Our coaches do a great job of preparing the game plan for us to get us on our A-game." After beating the D-backs in the final game of the regular season to clinch the AL West, the Astros flew home to Houston and were given one day off while awaiting the start of the ALDS against the Twins five days later. They did some light work at Minute Maid Park on the second day after the win and did fundamental reviews and live batting practice sessions for the next two days. The day before the start of the series was a full workout day, as mandated by Major League Baseball, with the media on hand to do interviews. |
"The one thing we've been doing, and I think other teams have been doing too, is facing live pitching," Astros catcher Martín Maldonado said. "Overall, I think it's no different than what we do in Spring Training." Astros manager Dusty Baker said the fact the Astros had to play until the last day of the season to clinch a bye helped the players stay locked in longer. "You look at the Dodgers, you look at the Braves, they [clinched] two weeks prior to that and they had a layoff," he said. Last year, Houston clinched the AL West with two weeks remaining in the regular season and still won its first seven playoff games. The Astros swept last year's ALDS against the Mariners and had three days before the start of the ALCS. After sweeping the Yankees, they had five days before facing the Phillies in the World Series. In fact, the Astros played only seven games in a 22-day span between the end of last year's regular season and the start of the World Series. |
That's a much different cadence than the regular season, when teams typically get one day off per week. "I don't think we have any special recipe that anybody doesn't," Astros pitcher Justin Verlander said. "It's difficult with days off. I think we embrace that. … I think that's the thing, going to the ALCS as many times in a row as we have, you definitely have times where you have days off. You are going to have four or five days off in a row; it just happens. So each individual guy has learned their routine of how to deal with the downtime to allow them to be what they need to be physically, mentally, to go out there and succeed." Verlander will make his Game 1 start against the Rangers on seven days of rest, having not thrown since beating the Twins in Game 1 of the ALDS on Oct. 7. He said he threw twice in the bullpen in the past week, instead of the typical one session between starts. "It's a bit of a balancing act right now," he said. "You're trying to get yourself as fresh as possible, but you're also trying to stay sharp. I have a tendency to lose a little bit of feel sometimes with an extended rest. My first couple innings the other day weren't too crisp. You try to keep the rhythm and tempo. But you can't fake game speed. You just can't replicate that in a bullpen setting. ... Hopefully when the lights go on, it clicks." | |
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"I don't know, man. I just go on what I'm told. They don't ask my opinion, and I don't have a vote. I'm just a high-ranking employee that's coming to work." -- Baker, when asked if he likes the current playoff format |
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Who's the only player to hit a home run in the playoffs for both the Astros and the Rangers? |
A. Robinson Chirinos B. Robbie Grossman C. Carlos Beltrán D. Carlos Gómez |
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STARBUCKS AND CHEESEBURGERS |
Verlander shed some light Saturday on his day-of-game routine, which he begins by sleeping as late as he can before turning his attention to food. "It's usually a cheeseburger of some variety," he said. "I won't say where I order it from. It changes occasionally, depending on how the start goes, obviously. And also a chicken Caesar salad, I'll start with that." Verlander typically leaves his home at about 2:45 p.m. for a 7 p.m. game -- a bit earlier for a playoff game. He makes a stop at Starbucks on his way. When he gets to the park, he changes into his workout clothes and begins studying the opponent. It's a solitary time for Verlander, who puts on his headphones and doesn't like to be bothered. "But I'm simplifying it a bit," he said. "I used to have a lot more little quirks and stuff. I used to leave the plate I ate on out and nobody was allowed to clean it up. I must have been running late and left a plate out and had a really good game. That stuck around for a while. "I think my daughter has helped me a lot, just being able to kind of get out of my own way sometimes before games, and I try to enjoy the time with her before I come to the field. It's a pleasant distraction from what's to come. I mean, she's just the light of my life, so it's fun to spend time with her." |
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A. Robinson Chirinos He homered in the ALDS for the Rangers in 2015 and hit three homers for the Astros in 2019, including two in the World Series. |
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