KATE UPTON WATCH
Kate Upton joins on-field celebration with Justin Verlander after Astros clinch ALCS
Clifford Pugh
Oct 22, 2017, 3:00 am
Kate Upton and Justin Verlander celebrate after the Astros in the ALCS. Roland Martinez/Getty Images
It wasn't just the Houston Astros players and coaches who were celebrating the big win over the New York Yankees on the field of Minute Park Saturday night. Whitney Crane stood next to her husband, Astros owner Jim Crane, as he officially accepted the ALCS trophy. And model Kate Upton took cell phone photos of fiancé Justin Verlander as he was named Most Valuable Player.
Upton wore a classic rainbow-striped Astros jersey over a black camisole, skinny jeans, and mango-colored stilettos with ballet ribbons as she cheered the Astros on from a skybox during the game and on the field afterwards.
She even snared a World Series cap that the Astro players received after the 4-0 win over the Yankees. And it seemed appropriate that she should be on the field celebrating. Besides adding a touch of glamour to these games, she is credited with encouraging Verlander to come to the Astros.
The Detroit Tigers sent Verlander to the Astros just seconds before the trade deadline on Sept. 1. He agreed to waive the no-trade clause in his contract, with Upton's encouragement.
"Thank goodness my fiancée Kate was there," Verlander told ESPN's Pardon the Interruption. "It made my decision a lot easier. … Finally, I'm still pacing and I just kind of stop and I looked at Kate and I go 'Screw it; We're going to Houston.' And she's like 'Heck yeah.' You know I'm kind of trying to say the right language here. But she says 'Heck yeah, we're going,' and that was it. That was the decision."
We're sure glad they did.
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Oswald Peraza hit a two-run single in the ninth inning to help the Los Angeles Angels snap a three-game losing skid by beating the Houston Astros 4-1 on Saturday night.
Peraza entered the game as a defensive replacement in the seventh inning and hit a bases-loaded fly ball to deep right field that eluded the outstretched glove of Cam Smith. It was the fourth straight hit off Astros closer Bryan Abreu (3-4), who had not allowed a run in his previous 12 appearances.
The Angels third run of the ninth inning scored when Mike Trout walked with the bases loaded.
Kyle Hendricks allowed one run while scattering seven hits over six innings. He held the Astros to 1 for 8 with runners in scoring position, the one hit coming on Jesús Sánchez’s third-inning infield single that scored Jeremy Peña.
Reid Detmers worked around a leadoff walk to keep the Astros scoreless in the seventh, and José Fermin (3-2) retired the side in order in the eighth before Kenley Jansen worked a scoreless ninth to earn his 24th save.
Houston’s Spencer Arrighetti struck out a season-high eight batters over 6 1/3 innings. The only hit he allowed was Zach Neto’s third-inning solo home run.
Yordan Alvarez had two hits for the Astros, who remained three games ahead of Seattle for first place in the AL West.
Key moment
Peraza’s two-run single to deep right field that broke a 1-1 tie in the ninth.
Key Stat
Opponents were 5 for 44 against Abreu in August before he allowed four straight hits in the ninth.
Up next
Astros RHP Hunter Brown (10-6, 2.37 ERA) faces RHP José Soriano (9-9, 3.85) when the series continues Sunday.