New York Mets ace Justin Verlander Looks Sharp in Latest Spring Start

In this story:
He looks sharp.
Mets ace Justin Verlander had another solid outing in his second start of Grapefruit League play on Friday.
Facing his former team in the Houston Astros, Verlander tossed 3.1 innings of one-run ball, striking out five and allowing just three hits. He threw 48 pitches (32 strikes), walked none and his fastball sat between 94-96 mph on the day.
Justin Verlander gets a strikeout in a 1-2-3 first inning: pic.twitter.com/GzRSeSxmnu
— SNY (@SNYtv) March 10, 2023
2 more strikeouts for Justin Verlander 🔥 pic.twitter.com/Ab2IhK60Gj
— SNY (@SNYtv) March 10, 2023
Verlander retired the first five batters he faced before allowing a two-out double in the top of the second inning. He eliminated this base runner by striking out David Hensley to end the frame.
In the top of the third, Verlander nearly worked around a leadoff double, but surrendered a two-out RBI single to Jake Meyers. This would be all of the scoring that Verlander gave up in this contest.
Overall this spring, Verlander has gone 2-0 with a 2.84 ERA and 0.79 WHIP in 6.1 innings.
The 40-year-old signed a two-year, $86 million deal with the Mets this offseason, and he is being counted on to be the co-ace with Max Scherzer.
So far so good, as Verlander has looked strong in both of his Grapefruit League starts to begin exhibition play.
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Pat Ragazzo is the main publisher and reporter for the Mets On SI site. He has been covering the Mets since 2018. Pat was selected as The Top Reporter & Publisher of the Year 2024 by the International Association of Top Professionals (IAOTP) for outstanding leadership, dedication, and commitment to the industry. He has appeared on several major TV Networks including: NBC4, CBS2, FOX5, PIX11 and NY1; and is a recurring guest on ESPN New York 880 AM and WFAN Sports Radio 101.9 FM. Pat is also the Mets insider for Barstool Sports personality Frank "The Tank" Fleming’s podcast. You can follow him on Twitter/X and Instagram: @ragazzoreport.
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