Detroit Tigers: Mixed Results for Justin Verlander in Opening Day Start

Basketball | admin | March 31, 2011 at 5:18 pm

Detroit Tigers fireballing right hander Justin Verlander made his fourth straight Opening Day start today against the New York Yankees, and the results were decidedly so-so.

Verlander lasted six innings, giving up three earned runs while allowing three hits and four walks. He also struck out eight batters. The Yankees currently hold a 4-3 lead.

Technically, Verlander’s start qualifies as a “quality start,” a stat that I will not apologize for having nothing but disdain for. Of course, it certainly wasn’t a bad start by any stretch of the imagination, especially considering how good Verlander’s stuff looked.

The Tigers ace really only made one bad pitch. That came with one out and two runners on in the bottom of the third inning, as Yankee first baseman Mark Teixeira blasted one into the right field stands for a three-run homer. At the time, Teixeira’s dinger gave the Yankees a 3-1 lead, but the Tigers were able to scratch across runs in the fourth and fifth to tie the score.

A few moments ago, Tigers lefty reliever Phil Coke made a bad pitch of his own, which former Tiger Curtis Granderson hit out to right field to give the Yanks their 4-3 lead.

Back on the subject of Verlander, it pretty much goes without saying that Jim Leyland is going to need him to be his typical studly self if the Tigers are to have any hope of winning the division.

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