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Hinch hints Verlander will go deep in Game 6: He has 'a bionic arm'

Troy Taormina / Reuters

Houston Astros right-hander Justin Verlander had a performance for the ages during Game 2 of the American League Championship Series on Saturday, throwing 124 pitches en route to a 13-strikeout complete game.

With the Astros in a do-or-die situation - down 3-2 to the New York Yankees - and Verlander on the hill once again for Game 6, Astros manager A.J. Hinch may not shy away from having his horse go deep once again.

Hinch suggested to reporters, including Hunter Atkins of the Houston Chronicle, Verlander will pitch beyond the norm in the crucial contest.

"I consider him to have a bionic arm," he said.

Including the postseason, Verlander has tossed more than 100 pitches on 28 occasions during the 2017 regular season and has 25 complete games under his belt during his career.

Verlander is also a perfect 8-0 during his tenure in Houston (postseason included) since arriving in an August trade from the Detroit Tigers.

Hinch explained Thursday that Verlander's presence on the mound may be enough to counteract the offensive slump Houston's been in, but the Astros players are going to have to fight the temptation to do too much.

"He raises the bar. Guys are going to want to do extra. We're going to have to fight that emotion," the Astros skipper explained to ESPN's Jerry Crasnick. "But his presence will immediately make everybody sit up straight, stand up a little bit more, have a little bit more energy because of the presence that he brings. It's hard to measure. It's hard to fake. You either have it or you don't. Verlander has it."

The 34-year-old Verlander will pitch opposite Yankees youngster Luis Severino in Game 6.

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