Astros Officially Name Starter for World Series Game 5

With Game 4 of the 2022 World Series scheduled for Wednesday night in Philadelphia, the Houston Astros have already named their starting pitcher for Thursday's Game 5, which will also be played at Citizens Bank Park.

Astros Game 5 Starter

To nobody's surprise, Astros manager Dusty Baker is going with Justin Verlander in Game 5. Verlander will be fully rested after starting Game 1 last Friday, which the Phillies won, 6-5.

While Verlander is likely to win his third career AL Cy Young award this year, he is still searching for his first victory in a World Series game. The 39-year-old has struggled mightily during the Fall Classic, going 0-6 with a 6.07 ERA in eight World Series starts.

Verlander will try to pitch better than he did in Game 1, when he blew a 5-0 lead at home. Regardless of how Game 4 turns out, Game 5 will be pivotal. If the Astros lose again, Verlander will try to stave off elimination in front of a raucous Philly home crowd. If they win, he'll be looking to give them the series lead heading back to Houston for Game 6.

Either way, Game 5 will be a massive start for Verlander and his postseason legacy. Will he finally be able to change the narrative about his ability to perform in big games? Or will his World Series woes continue?

After falling behind 2-1 in the series, the Astros are currently +135 underdogs to win the title on FanDuel Sportsbook's MLB odds.

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.