Sometimes all you need is a little jolt, a big motivational speech. At least, that’s what the Rocky series has taught everyone. Before Justin Verlander’s return, the Houston Astros were like Rocky after he lost to Clubber Lang – quite scared and lost. However, it seems Verlander came in like Apollo Creed to motivate his teammates. But unlike that iconic character, Verlander didn’t need Adrian to inspire the teammates, he did it himself.

Before Verlander’s return, the Astros were floundering. With a terrible 6-14 record, they were dead last in the AL West. This was one of the most unexpected outcomes for a team that had played in the ALCS last season. However, it seems it was more of a leadership issue than a performance issue. The 41-year-old veteran understood this immediately and decided to take the bull by the horns.

Houston Chronicle reported how Verlander collectively talked to the Astros clubhouse after their series loss against the Atlanta Braves. “He talked to us after the series against Atlanta,” outfielder Chas McCormick shared that Verlander’s message was simple. “We’ve just got to turn it up a little bit. We’ve just got to play better.” However, while that sounded pretty simple, the team recognized what Verlander wanted to say.

“Pretty much get our heads out of asses,” Mauricio Dubon said. However, he noted that Verlander used different words. “But that’s what we got.” Many in the team noted that they missed this kind of leadership at the start of the season. While the Astros are almost the same as last season, the departure of veterans like Hector Neris and Martin Maldonado left a giant void in the clubhouse.

While Justin Verlander was expected to carry that baton, his injury made it impossible for him to be actively involved with the team. That had a drastic effect on their performance, especially the pitching staff’s quality. However, now that Verlander’s back things are finally looking bright for the Astros.

Justin Verlander’s comeback increases the Houston Astros’ morale

“Knowing how he is out there and knowing how bad he wants it, it’s huge for us to play behind him and be locked in every single pitch,” McCormick said. The outfielder shared that Verlander’s presence gave the team a “little more juice” to perform well. Similarly, Astros’ manager Joe Espada shared that Verlander’s return was “huge just for the morale of the club.” The skipper noted his leadership skills and hoped that it would help the team in the long run.

Verlander’s presence certainly helped on Friday. The ace threw 6 innings and 78 pitches. More importantly, he was able to snap the 3-game-losing streak of the Astros by getting a 5-3 win over the Washington Nationals. While Verlander still looks far from his best, the fact that he won immediately after returning is a great sign. Perhaps now that their ace is back the Astros can finally start looking like themselves again or maybe they can be better. At least, that’s what happened in Rocky 3.