After 17 starts for the San Francisco Giants, Justin Verlander is finally in the win column.
Verlander pitched five shutout innings against the Atlanta Braves on Wednesday while allowing just one hit. He walked five, including three in the first inning to load the bases. But he got out of the jam and eventually left the game after five innings with a 3-0 lead.
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The Giants held on for a 9-3 win to secure Verlander’s first win of the season. Rafael Devers hit two home runs to help lead the Giants to victory.
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Rough start to season for Verlander
Verlander joined the Giants this offseason as a free agent on a one-year, $15 million deal. A nine-time All-Star and three-time Cy Young Award winner, he’s a future Hall of Famer and one of the most decorated pitchers of his generation.
Justin Verlander was winless in his first 16 starts for the Giants, the longest such stretch in franchise history.
(Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
At 42 years old, he’s not what he used to be on the mound.
Verlander posted an 0-8 record in 16 starts with the Giants prior to Wednesday’s win. The winless streak in his first 16 games was the longest for a pitcher in Giants history. He entered Wednesday with a 4.99 ERA, which would stand as the second-worst of his 20-year career (5.48, 2024) if carried over the course of a full season.
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Verlander’s last win before Wednesday’s arrived on Sept. 28 of last season as a member of the Houston Astros. And weather threatened his victory on Wednesday. But Verlander pitched through light rain in the fifth inning, allowing him to reach the innings threshold for the win. The Giants opened the game up from there to keep pace in the NL Wild Card race.
San Francisco improved to 54-49 with the win to move within 1.5 games of the NL West rival San Diego Padres for the league’s last wild-card berth. The race projects to remain tight over the stretch run of the season. More efforts like Verlander’s from Wednesday could mean the difference in making the playoffs or not for the Giants.