Ex-Astros star recounts how Justin Verlander, Gerrit Cole's presence at Houston helped batters

The Houston Astros once enjoyed two aces in their prime, Justin Verlander and Gerrit Cole, for two seasons, 2018 and 2019. During that time, the Astros were the team to beat in the American League and that was in large part thanks to Verlander and Cole, who confirmed wins just by pitching.

In those two years, the two aces combined to post an insane 72-25 record while registering a 2.62 ERA and 1,192 strikeouts.

Astros veteran Josh Riddick explained how it was easy for the rest of the group to play when those two pitchers were on the mound. It ensured less defensive work since both struck out hitters often and also did not strain hitters for additional run support.

"But I think when you get to go to the ballpark, and especially when you line up guys like Verlander and Gerrit Cole back-to-back, you’ve got a pretty good feeling you're going to win two in a row pretty easily," Riddick said on Friday's episode of Crush City Territory (22:44 onwards).

Three runs is what Riddick said it seemed Verlander and Cole needed to put the game to bed.

"And with our lineups, that was pretty easy to do — get three runs. It seemed like we'd always get those guys some really good run support, and it made our day on defense that much easier.

"Especially when you’ve got guys, you know, striking out — I think both of them struck out 300 that year, did they not? When they're both striking out 300-plus in two of the five days, it’s making not only the outfield but also the infielders' jobs a lot easier, to be able to focus on hitting a lot more. So, it made our day a whole lot easier."

Gerrit Cole and Justin Verlander dominated majors unlike anything in 2019

While the Astros could not win the 2019 World Series against the Washington Nationals, that season was one for the ages as far as starting pitching was concerned.

Big credit goes to the pitching duo of Justin Verlander and Gerrit Cole, who finished first and second in the 2019 AL Cy Young voting.

Verlander went 21-6 with an ERA of 2.58 and 300 strikeouts in 34 appearances in 2019. Meanwhile, Cole also put the league on notice, after finishing the 2019 season with a record of 20-5 with an ERA of 2.50 and 326 strikeouts in 33 appearances.

It remains one of the most dominant pitching performances by a duo in modern baseball history.

About the author

Krutik Jain is a journalist who has been reporting on baseball at Sportskeeda since 2022. It was in 2018 when the baseball bug bit Krutik, and already a cricket fan, he credits baseball's rules and Clayton Kershaw's pitching to have hooked him to the game.

A Kershaw and Mookie Betts fan, Krutik rates his favorite team LA Dodgers triumphing over Tampa Bay Rays in the 2020 World Series as his best baseball moment so far. His answer to the perennial "one player from the past you could meet" question is Jackie Robinson. Despite never having seen him play, Robinson's impact, legacy and trail-blazing journey have left an indelible impact on Krutik.

A rigorous fact-checker, Krutik likes reporting on the technical aspects of the game as well as off-field elements. When not watching baseball, Krutik is busy playing cricket, staying up to date with the happenings around the world and hiking.

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Edited by Debasish