"You lose a game like that, it sucks," Astros Manager A.J. Hinch said. "Breaking down this game from our perspective, it's a loss."
The lineup was nearly silent after a Tony Kemp double in the fourth frame. Jake Marisnick would have the next hit in the 13th. The Astros still managed baserunners due to walks including four walks from Alex Bregman alone, but grounded into four double plays on the night.
Verlander induced an impressive 29 swings and misses. Of those, 17 were on his slider. In total he had a 100 pitch night, throwing 47 fastballs.
"Obviously with the stuff I had today, I feel like three runs was probably more than I should have given up," Justin said. "Our job is not to strike guys out, our job is to win baseball games."
He walked none and allowed just four hits. The Astros pitching staff also set a franchise record with 24 strikeouts. Now with a record of 46-23, they are still tied for the best 69-game start in franchise history.