HOUSTON (SportsRadio 610) -- George Springer watched Justin Verlander's first pitch fastball cross home plate, looked behind him and asked for the velocity. After the third pitch he walked back to the dugout as the reigning Cy Young Award winner's first strikeout victim of Thursday's four-inning simulated game at Minute Maid Park.
In three innings against a lineup of Astros regulars, Verlander didn't allow a hit and struck out five, needing just 43 pitches to record nine outs. The only baserunner against him reached because of an error.
"He can pitch," Astros manager Dusty Baker said. "It's going be wonderful and a pleasure to watch him all year long versus just watching him on TV every now and then."
Facing hitters for the first time since groin surgery in March, Verlander said Thursday's outing couldn't have gone better.
"I felt fantastic. No issues, groin or lat. I really couldn''t have scripted a better day."
Verlander started opposite Lance McCullers Jr. who walked the first batter he faced, Myles Straw, and allowed him to score on a one-out single by Kyle Tucker, but he allowed just four more baserunners and no runs from that point forward. Overall, McCullers surrendered just the one run on two hits in four innings with three walks and five strikeouts.
"I felt very good," McCullers said. "Very happy with where I'm at physically. All the hard work and keeping up with my workouts and throwing during the break (was for) days like these when we're six, seven days into camp and I'm able to throw four innings and feel like I could have thrown four more and maintain my (velocity) getting up in the 95, 96 range."
McCullers threw 67 pitches on Thursday after throwing 52 during a live batting practice session last Saturday. He said he was encouraged by the improvements he made over the course of Thursday's outing.
"In the first inning or two my curveball wasn't great, and then I kind of made an adjustment that I've been working on to the third and fourth and start landing it in the zone again and started getting swings and misses."
The only hits of the day were collected by Straw and Tucker, but the hardest hit ball came off the bat of Alex Bregman, who on the last swing the game ripped a line drive into deep centerfield only to have it run down by Astros bullpen catcher Javier Bracamonte.
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