Verlander's Daughter Surprises Him on Mound in Final Start — SkimNews
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- Justin Verlander, 43, made his final MLB start Saturday, allowing 2 runs on 5 hits over 5⅓ innings with 6 strikeouts on 91 pitches in a 4-3 Detroit win over the Pirates
- Tigers manager A.J. Hinch coordinated with wife Kate Upton to send Verlander's 7-year-old daughter Genevieve to the mound after he retired the leadoff batter in the sixth — Verlander said 'it hit me like a ton of bricks' and that he was sobbing
- Verlander's career totals: 266-159 record, 3.33 ERA, and 3,560 strikeouts (eighth all-time), across 21 seasons that included three AL Cy Young Awards and a 2017 World Series title with Houston
- Eduardo Valencia's walk-off homer ensured Verlander didn't take a loss in his finale — Hinch said 'there was no way Justin Verlander was going to take the loss in his last game as a Tiger'
- Verlander returned to Detroit this year after stints with Houston, the Mets, and San Francisco, having originally pitched for the Tigers from 2005 to 2017; the mound tribute caused a 5½-minute delay before reliever Tyler Kinley entered
- Pittsburgh shortstop Konnor Griffin, 20, had not yet been born when Verlander made his MLB debut on July 4, 2005
Why it matters: Verlander's 21-year career closes with 266 wins, three Cy Young Awards, and 3,560 strikeouts (eighth all-time) — numbers that, per Hinch, make him a 'first-ballot Hall of Famer.' His departure ends the Tigers' brief reunion with a franchise icon who debuted in Detroit in 2005.
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