Inside the at-bat that won Justin Verlander his first World Series game
PHILADELPHIA — Houston Astros ace Justin Verlander knew the stakes.
He had stepped up to the mound on Thursday for Game 5 of the World Series with plenty to prove. Winless in seven career games in the Fall Classic, he had just blown a 5-0 lead in Game 1 of this series, a game in which many believed manager Dusty Baker left him in too long. He had a 6.07 ERA in World Series games, almost three runs higher than his career average. On top of all that sat the very real possibility that this would be his last start in an Astros jersey.
And then, on his second pitch of the game, Verlander gave up a leadoff home run to Phillies left fielder Kyle Schwarber. After losing that Game 1 lead — and now giving up an early homer — even a veteran like the 39-year-old Verlander was shaken.
“It just sucks because of the moment and obviously all the questions and weight,” he said. “But you have to rely on the hundreds of starts and the thousands of pitches I’ve thrown before, and just kind of say, ‘OK, I’ve given up leadoff home runs before, let me bear down.'”
Through four innings, Verlander had labored but survived, and he had a 2-1 lead as the fifth inning — an inning he’d have to complete to be eligible for a win — began. After two quick outs, Bryce Harper lined a double to right. That’s when Philadelphia Phillies right fielder Nick Castellanos stepped into the box.
Verlander’s pitch count was approaching 90. It was his third time through the order. This time, the bullpen was active. This would be a defining moment for the future Hall of Famer.
“I was considering, after the Bryce double, whether Dusty was going to leave me in there or not,” Verlander said after the Astros’ 3-2 win. “I wasn’t sure. I was thankful for the opportunity, and thankful to come through.”
But it wouldn’t be easy.
“I thought my third at-bat against Verlander was my best of the series,” Castellanos said after the game.
The Phillies slugger had been slumping in this World Series, just 2-for-16 in the first four games, but was in the midst of his best night at the plate — even if he had little to show for it. His at-bats against Verlander were getting better and better. A first-inning fly out was followed by a third inning, 105 mph line drive that was caught by shortstop Jeremy Pena. Now Castellanos stepped to the plate with the tying run on second in front of a raucous Citizens Bank Park. The next few seconds would be high drama.
“I don’t think JV would’ve wanted it any other way,” teammate Alex Bregman said. “Those big situations, having to make big pitch after big pitch — that’s Justin Verlander. He makes big pitch after big pitch.”
During the regular season, Castellanos ranked fourth in baseball in swinging strike percentage, but on this night, he wasn’t missing. He kept fouling off pitch after pitch.
Verlander threw everything in his arsenal, beginning with sliders and fastballs, eventually moving on to a rare changeup. That pitch was hammered down the left field line — but foul.
“We could have gone a number of ways,” pitching coach Josh Miller said. “He emptied the tank and threw all of his stuff to Nick there.”
After a line drive that almost landed fair in left, catcher Martin Maldonado took a slow walk to the mound. Verlander had thrown seven pitches to Castellanos, and the count was 2-2. “It’s a big situation right there,” Maldonado said. “I want to make sure we both agree on the same pitch.”
They didn’t.
Verlander wanted to throw a curveball; Maldonado wanted to throw “something else.” His pitcher won the debate.
“Nick had, to me, looking back at Game 1, probably the at-bat of that game,” Verlander said of the two-out single that scored the first run of the Phillies’ rally against Verlander in the series opener. “Here, I find myself on the verge of a ballgame again with him up and just wanted to — just really wanted to get him out.”
Verlander threw the pitch he wanted — twice. But Castellanos took one for a ball and fouled the second curveball off.
Finally, for the 10th pitch of the at-bat, Maldonado went back to the slider. It wasn’t perfect — it might have caught too much of the plate — but it was effective. Castellanos hit a lazy fly ball to left. The inning was over.
“I just missed it,” Castellanos said. “This is a game of centimeters. If I’m on top of that ball a little bit more, we’re in a different situation for the rest of the game.
“I was doing my best to stay relaxed and try to barrel up something. I almost did.”
Verlander escaped. And by doing so, he earned his first win in the World Series, after the Astros held the Phillies to just one more run in a 3-2 victory. The relief was all over Verlander’s face after his outing — and in the long embraces he gave Baker after that at-bat, as well as Chas McCormick after a game-saving home run robbery in the ninth inning.
“They gave me the rookie treatment after the game,” Verlander said. “They put me in the cart and rolled me in the shower and just doused me with all sorts of stuff.
“It was one of the best feelings in my career.”
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Two NASCAR teams, one owned by NBA Hall of Famer Michael Jordan, on Tuesday argued to a federal judge why the organizations still should be issued a preliminary injunction to be recognized as chartered organizations until their antitrust suit against the stock car racing series is finished.
The 11-page filing in U.S. District Court for the Western District of North Carolina was in response to NASCAR notifying Judge Kenneth Bell it would not redistribute any charters to new participants while the case heads toward its Dec. 1 court date. NASCAR’s backtrack Friday came one day after an acrimonious hearing that included the disclosure of expletive-laden emails and text messages from Jordan and other high-profile litigants.
23XI Racing, the team owned by Jordan and three-time Daytona 500 winner Denny Hamlin, and Front Row Motorsports, owned by entrepreneur Bob Jenkins, are suing NASCAR over antitrust claims regarding the charter system. A charter is the equivalent of a franchise and guarantees chartered cars both a spot in the 40-car field each week, as well as a significantly larger chunk of payouts.
NASCAR last September, after more than two years of contentious negotiations, presented teams with its final offer on charter extensions; 13 organization signed the agreements, but 23XI and Front Row refused.
The two teams initially won a preliminary injunction to be recognized as chartered for this season until a jury verdict on the antitrust allegations. That was overturned, and 23XI and FRM are currently competing as “open” teams. NASCAR wants the money back the teams were paid during the portion of the season they were chartered.
The teams also have appealed to have the chartered status reinstated, but NASCAR argued in court last week it has an interested buyer for one of the six charters previously held by 23XI and FRM, and it plans to immediately begin redistributing the charters. NASCAR backtracked after Thursday’s hearing, and a ruling on the preliminary injunction is expected to come from Bell this week.
NASCAR maintains that in holding off on redistributing charters, 23XI and FRM are no longer in danger of suffering irreparable harm. The teams countered Tuesday the threat still exists “because of the risk of breach claims from their irreplaceable drivers and loss of sponsors in the absence of charter rights.”
Tyler Reddick of 23XI has a clause in his contract that says the team would be in breach if his Toyota is not chartered. Jeffrey Kessler, the attorney for the two teams, indicated in court that Reddick has notified 23XI it is in breach.
Kessler also argued that NASCAR agreeing not to redistribute any charters now “does not moot Plaintiffs’ Motion for Preliminary Injunction or eliminate Plaintiffs’ irreparable harm if no relief is provided.”
The 13 teams that are chartered are becoming frustrated with the case — Bell warned last week the entire charter system is in danger of imploding if a settlement is not reached — and the non-suing teams believe their valuations are being harmed by the litigation.
Dan Towriss, the majority owner of the Spire Motorsports’ NASCAR team, as well as owner of Cadillac F1, Andretti Global and other motorsports properties, said he was “very disappointed with the direction” the lawsuit has taken.
“We had meetings with the NASCAR brass a few weeks ago and it’s ‘How can we help?'” Towriss said at last weekend’s IndyCar season finale. “What we saw [in court], what was released in that case is very inconsistent with what they [NASCAR] say privately. And so I need to understand, ‘Who am I dealing with? Which one is it? Is it the people we meet with privately, or is what you say when we’re not around?'”
Towriss said he’d also like to see NASCAR reach a settlement with 23XI and FRM.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — A federal judge on Wednesday denied two teams — one owned by NBA Hall of Famer Michael Jordan — a preliminary injunction in their antitrust suit against NASCAR to be recognized as chartered teams for the remainder of the season.
Judge Kenneth Bell of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of North Carolina said there was no reason to issue 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports the injunction because NASCAR last Friday vowed not to sell the six charters the teams previously held until the end of the legal battle.
Bell has repeatedly said he doesn’t want to rule on the likelihood of one side prevailing over the other, and reiterated that Wednesday.
“As the Court noted at the hearing on this motion, the Court believes that it is best not to provide its forecast of the Plaintiffs’ likelihood of success on the merits, and thereby potentially bias the jury pool, unless it is necessary to do so, which is not here,” Bell wrote.
He also cautioned on what the landscape of NASCAR may look like if the case is not settled before trial.
“The uncertainty about what the 2026 season will look like unfortunately exists not just for the Parties, but for the other teams, drivers, crews, sponsors, broadcasters, and most regrettably, the fans,” he wrote.
NASCAR in a statement said the ruling “brings much-needed clarity to the remainder of the 2025 NASCAR season.”
“For nearly 80 years, NASCAR and the France family have championed a bold vision by taking many personal and financial risks to build a sport that fuels livelihoods, inspires generations, and delivers world-class competition,” NASCAR said. “That commitment remains unwavering, and we will continue to defend the integrity of NASCAR and preserve the values that have guided its growth.
“To the fans: We won’t let this lawsuit distract from what matters most — delivering the unforgettable moments you’ve come to expect from our great sport and crowning the next NASCAR Cup Series champion on November 2.”
The trial is set for Dec. 1.
“With trial in this matter now less than three months away and the season on its proverbial last laps, NASCAR has agreed to extend those representations, in material effect,” Bell wrote in denying the motion for a preliminary injunction.
“This will effectively maintain the status quo pending a final decision on the merits and any permanent injunctive relief following trial that is, Plaintiffs will be able to race and disputed Charters will not be sold or otherwise transferred.”
Jeffrey Kessler, attorney for the teams suing NASCAR, wasn’t necessarily disappointed by the ruling.
“We are grateful that Judge Bell has made clear that the status quo is being maintained — protecting my clients’ rights to regain their charters if they prevail at trial and ensuring their ability to continue racing through the 2025 season based on NASCAR’s commitments,” Kessler said. “Equally important, Judge Bell reaffirmed his broad power to order meaningful changes in NASCAR should we succeed, so that teams, drivers, sponsors, and fans can benefit from a sport positioned for long-term growth and restored competition.
“We are ready to present our case at trial in December.”
23XI Racing, the team owned by Jordan and three-time Daytona 500 winner Denny Hamlin, and Front Row Motorsports, owned by entrepreneur Bob Jenkins, are suing NASCAR over antitrust claims regarding the charter system. A charter is the equivalent of a franchise and guarantees chartered cars both a spot in the 40-car field each week, as well as a significantly larger chunk of payouts.
NASCAR last September, after more than two years of contentious negotiations, presented teams with its final offer on charter extensions; 13 organization signed the agreements, but 23XI and Front Row refused.
The two teams initially won a preliminary injunction to be recognized as chartered for this season until a jury verdict on the antitrust allegations. That was overturned, and 23XI and FRM are currently competing as “open” teams. NASCAR wants the money back the teams were paid during the portion of the season they were chartered.
The teams also have appealed to have the chartered status reinstated, but NASCAR argued in court last week it has an interested buyer for one of the six charters previously held by 23XI and FRM, and it plans to immediately begin redistributing the charters. NASCAR backtracked after Thursday’s hearing.
NASCAR maintains that in holding off on redistributing charters, 23XI and FRM are no longer in danger of suffering irreparable harm. The teams countered Tuesday the threat still exists “because of the risk of breach claims from their irreplaceable drivers and loss of sponsors in the absence of charter rights.”
Tyler Reddick of 23XI has a clause in his contract that says the team would be in breach if his Toyota is not chartered. Jeffrey Kessler, the attorney for the two teams, indicated in court that Reddick has notified 23XI it is in breach.
Bell wrote in his Wednesday decision that “the loss of the ‘fixed’ Charter payouts and the uncertainty of ongoing relationships with drivers and sponsors can either be compensated with money damages at trial or is simply inherent in the risks associated with the lawsuit.”
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