By admin 
DETROIT – This day will not soon be forgotten. If ever.
Justin Verlander, at age 43 and in the 557th and last start of storied career, took the mound at Comerica Park wearing the Old English D for the first time in 3,125 days – a span of nine years and 37 days dating to Aug. 20, 2017.
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He hadn’t pitched competitively, because of hip and hamstring injuries, since March 30. He admittedly skipped a few steps in his rehab process to make this day happen. He was in no way properly built up to make a normal start.
And yet, in what ended up a thrilling, 4-3 walk-off win against the Pittsburgh Pirates Saturday for the Detroit Tigers, he walked off the mound after throwing 91 pitches in 5 1/3 innings, striking out six and allowing only two solo homers.
As manager AJ Hinch alerted home plate umpire Laz Diaz, Verlander’s daughter Genevieve ran toward the mound and the hug she shared with her father was heart-searing. Hinch eventually took the ball, hugged him and soon every player on the field was at the mound to send Verlander off.
The sellout crowd of 41,377 stook and chanted, “JV, JV, JV,” as the Hall of Fame-bound Verlander waved and walked off the field for the final time, hand in hand with his daughter, greeting his wife Kate Upton and son Bellamy for another long hug in the dugout.
This surpassed any reasonably imagined script. To pitch into the sixth inning, to throw 91 pitches, after having only a one-inning live bullpen under his belt since early June – it’s almost incomprehensible from a physical standpoint, let alone the quality of his work.
It was an almost vintage, late-career performance for Verlander, expertly mixing sliders, curveballs and changeups off a four-seam fastball that averaged just a tick under 93 mph and hit 95 twice. With the six strikeouts, he also got 10 whiffs on 46 swings and 10 called strikes.
He struck out Oneil Cruz with a slider in the second inning and in the third punched out Henry Davis and Ryan O’Hearn with fastballs after setting them up with off-speed and spin. Classic Verlander.
Brandon Lowe ambushed a first-pitch fastball leading off the fourth inning. It was the slowest fastball Verlander threw all day (89.5 mph).
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With the fired-up crowd continuously chanting, he struck out Spencer Horwitz and Ronny Simon to start the fifth. He was getting to 80 pitches, way beyond even the most optimistic expectations.
Jacob Gonzalez hit a hanging curveball into the right-field seats and Davis and Ryan O’Hearn followed with singles. It seemed like the outing might have to end right there.
But right-fielder Zach McKinstry got Verlander off the hook, fielding the ball, spinning and throwing a dart to third base to cut down Davis. It was his ninth outfield assist this season. Verlander was fired up. He pumped his fists, yelled ‘Let’s go!’ and waited in the middle of the infield to high-five McKinstry for the play before walking to the dugout.
He was at 87 pitches when he came out for the sixth, serenaded by another standing ovation. His last batter was Lowe, who fouled out to catcher Dillon Dingler.
He will end his career as the game’s active strikeout leader (3,560), wins (266) and innings pitched (3,576.2). His career ERA is 3.33 with a 1.14 WHIP. Those are the baseline numbers to his three Cy Young Awards, the MVP Award, three no-hitters and two World Series championships.
Next stop, Cooperstown.
The Tigers, the offense dormant for eight innings against a fleet of Pirates’ pitchers (seven), rallied off lefty Mason Montgomery in the ninth. With one out, rookie Max Clark singled, went to third on a double by rookie Hao-Yu Lee and scored on a groundout by rookie Kevin McGonigle.
Then with two outs, rookie Eduardo Valencia gave the crowd one last three, bashing a two-strike, two-run homer to left.
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Again, beyond any reasonable script.
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This story was originally published September 26, 2026 at 1:44 PM.