Justin Verlander Goes Nine, Picks Up First Win

By Sean Gagnier
@SeanGagnier

Justin Verlander took a Tigers lead into the ninth inning for the second consecutive start, only this time he would win the game. On Monday night the Detroit Tigers ace headed into the ninth with a 3-1 lead and a manageable pitch count. Although he made things interesting, allowing one run and leaving the bases loaded with two outs, Verlander came out of the inning with his first win and complete game of the season.

In his nine innings of work Verlander surrendered seven hits to the Kansas City Royals while walking just two. Almost as impressive as his complete game was the fact that Verlander struck out nine Royals on the day, including Alex Gordon to end the game.

The win was right out of the script of a Verlander start, he began the game throwing in the mid-90's and by the end of the game he was tossing 101 mph fastballs to the plate. On his last delivery to the plate, his 131st pitch, Verlander's fastball beat Gordon by blowing by him at 101 mph.

While it is hard to say no when the reigning American League MVP and Cy Young winner is chomping at the bit to get back out on the mound to close out his game, the question has come up whether Manager Jim Leyland should allow Verlander to extend his games into the final frame.

In his last start against the Tampa Bay Rays, Verlander headed into the ninth with a lead. It didn't stay that way, the Rays came all the way back and beat the Tigers that day. So when Verlander convinced Leyland to let him toss the ninth on Monday, visions of the previous game had to be flashing through his mind.

With two on and two out and the score at 3-2 Leyland meandered his way out to the mound to talk to his pitcher, and according to Verlander all he said was, "you're going to get me fired."

But in the dugout in the eighth inning when Verlander approached Leyland about going back out for the ninth, he said that Leyland told him, "it's your game. You're either going to win it or lose it. I'm not taking you out."

If that isn't confidence in your pitcher nothing is. So with the bases loaded, two-outs and a one run lead, Verlander channeled that confidence and blew the final strike past Gordon at 101 mph to secure his first win of the year.

Verlander was afforded his lead on a leadoff home run by Austin Jackson and a two-run homer by Brandon Inge, who was starting at 2B, in the fifth. Those three runs would be all Verlander would need.

He allowed a Gordon double in the first and after a sacrifice bunt and a Billy Butler single the Royals were able to erase the Tigers early lead. After the Inge home run the Royals could only muster one more run in the ninth when Butler lead off the frame with a single and his pinch runner, Jason Bourgeois, was able to come around and score.

At the beginning of the season Verlander said he wanted to emulate Roy Halladay and complete more games this season - so far it looks as though his body is up to it, but it is up to his skipper to get his mind ready to stay focused for the full nine frames. Once he gets the hang of throwing nine full innings, look out, he might be more dominating than last season.