Justin Verlander’s fourth strikeout of the night, on a Victor Robles foul tip in the second inning of World Series Game 2, marked the 200th in the veteran’s postseason career. It broke a tie with John Smoltz to set a new record for the most career postseason strikeouts. Andy Pettitte is third on the list at 183 followed by Roger Clemens at 173 and Clayton Kershaw at 170.
Verlander was against the ropes immediately, allowing the first three batters he faced in the first inning to reach base. Two scored, but Verlander was able to bounce back and escape the inning without any further damage. His second inning was much cleaner, working around only a one-out single.
Verlander entered Wednesday’s action with a career 3.26 ERA in the postseason across 176 2/3 innings. It’s his 30th postseason start and his sixth in the World Series.
