The Astros go into Minnesota 1-1 in the ALDS. That might seem disappointing, but considering the ongoing issue of the Astros starting pitching in the second half of the season, it's not surprising.
None of the starters have been consistently good. To suddenly expect a 2022 level of consistency is unrealistic. Despite shaky command, Justin Verlander toughed his way to six shutout innings, setting up the Game One win.
But if inconsistency is the hallmark of Astros starting pitching, we could have expected bad Framber Valdez in Game Two. Since August 8th, Valdez has had a 4.