ST . PETERSBURG, Fla. — There is a giant wrench in the Astros’ grand plans — the Rays.

A.J. Hinch is going to use his Justin Verlander card to try to correct the problem.

Just call Verlander The Fixer.

After getting walloped by the Rays 10-3 Monday in Game 3 of the ALDS at Tropicana Field, Hinch flipped the win switch to on, announcing the Astros will be going with Verlander on short rest Tuesday to try to close out the Rays. The Astros lead the series, 2-1.

Hinch made the right move because he has the best insurance policy right behind Verlander in Gerrit Cole, who has won 17 straight games.

Cy Old will go Tuesday and, if needed, Cy Young will pitch Game 5 in Houston on Thursday. Hinch is betting on Verlander so there will be no need for a Game 5 starter, and Cole would be good to go in Game 1 of the ALCS. That would put Verlander in line to be on regular rest for Game 2.

Why Verlander?

“He’s one of the best pitchers in the world,’’ Hinch said. “No more complicated than that. He’s ready, and it’s his game.’’

Remember, after Verlander beat the Rays in Game 1, Kevin Cash said, “We got Verlander-ed.’’

It is simple and it’s also a testament to how good the Rays are because Hinch is saying, “If you are going to beat us, you are going to have to do it in five games and go through Verlander and Cole.”

Verlander admitted he has not been used in a situation like this in the last few years, saying, “Closest we came was out of the bullpen a couple years ago in Boston. I mean, the thought process is five-game series are pretty crazy and we’ve got to win. Never know what can happen. You can’t put all your eggs in one basket and say, ‘If we lose [Tuesday], we’ve got Justin and Gerrit on Game 5.’ It’s a crazy game.

“The last couple days, I’ve felt pretty good. A.J. and I have been discussing it. He made the call.’’

Verlander will match up against Diego Castillo as Cash will do what he does best, empty his bullpen.

All this is great news for the Yankees, who want to see Verlander and Cole pushed. A win Monday night against the Twins and the Yankees can sit back and watch the Rays and Astros beat up each other.

This series is all about Big Game starters. The Astros got it in their first two starts with Verlander and Cole throwing 14 ²/₃ innings of shutout baseball and the Rays got it Tuesday from Mr. Elimination Game, Charlie Morton, who did his winning thing once again through five innings.

Morton, after a strenuous first inning when he surrendered a home run to Jose Altuve, won another elimination game making him 4-0 in such outings.

The Rays bats exploded against Zack Greinke, who simply cannot pitch at Tropicana Field. Greinke came into the day owning an 0-4 record at the Trop, having surrendered 37 hits over 32¹/₃ innings here and five home runs during his career.

Then he got slammed, giving up a long three-run home run to Kevin Kiermaier in the second and later home runs to Ji-Man Choi and Brandon Lowe. The first two home runs came off do-nothing changeups and the third was on a looping 71 mph curveball.

Verlander has seen it all before when Morton was an Astro and pitched that marvelous Game 7 against the Yankees in 2017.

“Not surprised at all,’’ Verlander said. “Charlie showed all of the Astros what he can do, and I think there’s no surprise. He’s been tremendous in some games when it’s all on the line, and so I don’t think anybody was surprised that he came out with great stuff today and picked those guys up.’’

The same could be said for Verlander.

“I’m going to approach it just like the first game and a lot like any other playoff game I’ve ever pitched, which is kind of in my gut,’’ Verlander said. “It feels like a win-or-go-home game.’’

That’s the Astros mindset.

“I think today they just outplayed us in every phase of the game,’’ third baseman Alex Bregman said, “and tomorrow we come and finish it.”

Finish it with The Fixer, Justin Verlander.