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.
Most Popular
SportsMap Emails
Are Awesome
Listen Live
The Astros know how to win these games, and it shows
Jun 29, 2025, 4:28 pm
Kyle Tucker launched a three-run homer and matched a season high with four hits against the team that traded him in December, and the Chicago Cubs routed Houston 12-3 on Saturday night to stop the Astros' five-game winning streak.
Tucker also scored four times to pace a Cubs lineup that pounded out 15 hits, including three by Dansby Swanson. Seiya Suzuki, Michael Busch and Nico Hoerner also went deep.
Chicago hit three homers in an inning for the second time this season during a seven-run fourth. Busch and Hoerner had back-to-back solo shots to put the Cubs on top 3-2, and Tucker’s drive made it 7-2.
The offensive outburst came in support of Colin Rea (5-3), who allowed two runs and five hits over five innings. The only blemish on his line was rookie Cam Smith’s two-run homer in the third, which briefly gave the Astros a 2-1 lead.
Smith, part of the package Houston received for Tucker, finished with two hits and has homered in consecutive games for the first time in his career.
Lance McCullers Jr. (1-3) came off the injured list and allowed eight runs on seven hits over 3 1/3 innings.
Isaac Paredes, also part of the Astros' trade return for Tucker, hit his 17th home run.
Key moment
Tucker’s three-run homer in the fourth that put the Cubs ahead 7-2.
Key stat
McCullers has a 10.89 ERA in five home starts this season, but hasn’t allowed an earned run in three road starts.
Up next
Houston LHP Framber Valdez (8-4, 2.88 ERA) opposes RHP Jameson Taillon (7-5, 4.77 ERA) when the series concludes Sunday.