WEDDING TRUMPS BASEBALL
Verlander skips Astros World Series victory parade for wedding with Kate, but that's okay with teammates
Clifford Pugh
Nov 3, 2017, 9:00 pm
On Friday night, Kate Upton posted this photo on Instagram and congratulated the Astros. Instagram/@KateUpton
At the giant Astros World Series victory parade, Justin Verlander was gone but not forgotten.
The Astros pitcher, who was acquired from the Detroit Tigers just seconds before the trading deadline in late August and was instrumental in Houston's march through the payoffs, was the only team member not at the parade through downtown Houston and rally at Houston City Hall afterwards. He was apparently on his way to Italy to marry his fiancé, model Kate Upton.
But at the rally, his fellow Astros pitcher, Dallas Keuchel, thought up a wedding gift to send to the couple.
"There's one member of our team not with us today; he hasn't really done much," Keuchel said jokingly. "I want to give a little shout-out and let you guys know what Justin Verlander means to this team."
Keuchel then filmed the massive crowd as they cheered long and loudly.
Some Astros fans called Verlander out on Twitter for being a no-show, but the prevailing sentiment is that wedding plans were made long before he joined the Astros. The couple announced their engagement at the Met Gala last year, where she flashed a $1 million engagement ring, and numerous reports have hinted at wedding in Italy this weekend.
Upton and Verlander have been secretive about details, but the bride is expected to wear two Valentino gowns. "She wants to feel like a princess and the wedding will be very glamorous," an insider told E! News.
In May, Upton told Entertainment Tonight that her sisters will be co-maids of honor, there will be lots of tequila, she may wear more than one gown, and whatever she wears will have a "little flair of sexuality."
"I like it all, so maybe (I'll have) multiple dresses," she said. "Maybe a nice long sleeve, and then also the big tulle one."
"(We're) planning towards a destination wedding," she continued. "We don't really get the opportunity to go on a lot of vacations together because of how long baseball season is, and how busy we both are, so I think that what we want for our wedding (is to) have all of our closest friends and families go on an extended vacation together."
And, she added, about her future husband, "I hope he cries during the wedding day. I think it's going to come."
Late last month, Upton posted a photo from New York on Instagram with four female friends, hinting that it was a bachelorette party.
On Friday night, Upton posted a photo on Instagram praising the Astros for winning the World Series. But she didn't say where she was.
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Two first-place clubs riding identical hot streaks meet again Wednesday night as the Houston Astros host the Philadelphia Phillies in a marquee midseason showdown.
The Astros, winners of six straight at home, enter with a 46-33 record and a firm grip on the AL West. They've surged behind strong pitching and timely hitting, outscoring opponents by 10 runs over their last 10 games while posting a 3.40 team ERA. Mauricio Dubón has been a spark during that stretch, slugging four homers in his last 10 games, while Isaac Paredes continues to anchor the lineup with a team-high 16 home runs.
They’ll hand the ball to rookie left-hander Colton Gordon, who brings a 2-1 record and 4.54 ERA into his eighth start of the season. Gordon has shown flashes of potential but will face perhaps his toughest test yet against a Phillies lineup loaded with talent and plate discipline.
Philadelphia, 47-32 and sitting atop the NL East, has the third-best on-base percentage in baseball (.331) and no signs of slowing. They've gone 7-3 in their last 10 games, outscoring opponents by 15 runs and batting .267 during that stretch. Trea Turner has begun to heat up, going 12-for-42 in his last 10 contests, while Nick Castellanos remains a consistent threat with 21 doubles and 41 RBIs on the year.
The Phillies will counter with ace Zack Wheeler, who enters with dominant numbers: a 7-2 record, 2.61 ERA, 0.91 WHIP, and 118 strikeouts. Wheeler’s command and swing-and-miss stuff have been a constant all season, and the Astros will have to work for every base runner.
This is the second meeting between the two clubs this season, with the Astros winning the first contest, 1-0. With both teams trending upward, it has all the makings of another tight, low-scoring battle. The betting line favors Philadelphia (-160), with the over/under set at 7.5 runs — a reflection of the elite pitching expected on both sides.
First pitch is set for 8:10 p.m. EDT at Daikin Park.