The Astros are hoping they can ride their Big 3 all the way to an American League Division Series title.
Houston will start ace Justin Verlander in Game 4 of the ALDS on Tuesday on three days rest, the team announced Monday, and that is exactly what the 2011 Cy Young winner wanted.
Verlander reportedly pushed for the Astros to give him the ball after Zack Greinke took the loss in Game 3.
"You can't put all your eggs in one basket and say, 'If we lose (Game 4), we've got Justin and Gerrit in Game 5,'" Verlander said, via MLB.com. "It's a crazy game."
Tampa Bay won 10-3 at Tropicana Field on Monday after Greinke failed to get out of the fourth inning, and Houston isn't going to mess around.
Jose Urquidy could have started Game 4 as he was well-rested and ready to go, but Houston is banking on the fact it can get a win either out of Verlander in Game 4 on short rest or Gerrit Cole in Game 5 on regular rest, so it won't go to the rookie in this spot.
Houston did not announce its Game 4 starter until after the loss Monday, but something says this was the plan all along, especially after Verlander cruised through seven shutout innings in Game 1 on Friday.
"He's one of the best pitchers in the world," manager AJ Hinch said. "No more complicated than that. He's ready, and it's his game."
In Verlander's tenure with the Astros he has only pitched on short rest in the postseason once and it wasn't in a start.
He came on in relief during Game 4 of the ALDS in 2017and immediately gave up a home run to Andrew Benintendi. Ultimately, though, he surrendered nothing else in 2 2/3 innings and the Astros came back to beat the Red Sox 6-5.
Verlander has only made one postseason start on short rest, in Game 3 of the 2011 ALDS against the Yankees, according to MLB.com, but that was after he went just one inning in a rain-shortened start in Game 1 just three days earlier.
And make no mistake, the Cy Young favorite isn't treating this like any other game. He's going out there to dominate.
"I'm going to approach it just like the first game and a lot like any other playoff game I've ever pitched," Verlander said, "Kind of in my gut, it feels like a win-or-go-home game."
The Rays will go with a bullpen game and start Diego Castillo, who will likely go for one or two innings.