The Detroit Tigers bid Justin Verlander farewell on Saturday in his final start against the Pittsburgh Pirates. Altogether, he pitched 5.1 innings with 6 strikeouts.
In the bottom of the 6th, with the Tigers trailing 2-0, the Tigers removed Verlander from the game. As he left, his young daughter stood by his side. Then, the fans gave Verlander a roaring send-off as he headed to the dugout.
Capping off a 21-year career. The Tigers pulled off a comeback victory by scoring three runs in the bottom of the 9th. Shortstop Kevin McGonigle was the hero, driving in the winning run with a walk-off single.
Verlander is now poised to enter Cooperstown in the years ahead. His numbers are of true Hall of Fame quality. He walks away with 266 wins, a 3.33 ERA, and more than 3,550 strikeouts. Verlander also won the Cy Young Award three times (2011, 2019, and 2022). In 2011, he also won the American League MVP Award. He is also a two-time World Series champion (2017, 2022).
Also, Verlander was a 10-time MLB All-Star and threw three no-hitters (2007, 2011, and 2019).
He pitched for the Tigers from 2005 to 2017. He then won World Series titles with the Houston Astros from 2017 to 2022. In 2023, Verlander pitched one season with the New York Mets. He went back to Houston from 2023 to 2024. Then, he pitched one year with the San Francisco Giants in 2025.
Ultimately, Verlander, in an act of poetic justice, closed out his career with the Tigers, the team that gave him his start.
A fitting end to one of the most illustrious careers of all time.