"We call him Optimus Prime" - Hunter Brown shares veteran Astros ace Justin Verlander's clubhouse nickname

Veteran Houston Astros ace Justin Verlander has been one of the most consistent pitchers over the last two decades and refuses to slow down in his 19th year as an MLB player.

Verlander is part of a six-man Astros rotation, which also features 26-year-old Hunter Brown. Talking about the veteran hurler ahead of the game against the Kansas City Royals on Thursday, Brown shared Verlander's nickname in the clubhouse, inspired by an iconic fictional character known for his leadership.

"Optimus is back, we have been waiting for him," Brown said. "We call him Optimus Prime, he's the last Prime left. So excited. First-ballot Hall of Famer, we love it."

Justin Verlander made his return to the mound after missing over two months of action due to a neck injury. He has conceded six runs in his two starts since his return to action on August 21 against the Boston Red Sox. He conceded four runs in his second start against the Philadelphia Phillies in a 5-0 shutout loss, with all of his runs coming in the third inning.

“Sometimes in these stretches, one pitch doesn’t go your way, one ball doesn’t go your way, one whatever -- it’s the difference between winning and losing,” Verlander said. “Against tough opponents, I feel like we’ve played pretty damn well. Just the wins haven’t shown up.”

Astros comeback late after Hunter Brown's tame exit

Hunter Brown got the nod for Thursday's series opener against the Royals and the World Series winner kept the hitters in check with a strong performance. Brown went six scoreless innings, before conceding two runs in his seventh. He finished his start with two runs over two hits in 6.2 innings and fanning four hitters.

A three-run seventh inning saw the Royals come from behind to lead the game. However, a four-run surge from the Astros in the eighth inning, followed by All-Star closer Josh Hader's hitless ninth inning helped the hosts to a 6-3 come-from-behind win.

The Astros lead the American League West with a four-game lead over the Seattle Mariners after Thursday's win.