Justin Verlander’s final start for Tigers ends with major surprise

The Detroit Tigers surprised Justin Verlander after he threw the final pitch of his career in the sixth inning against the Pittsburgh Pirates on Saturday, Sept. 26.

When manager A.J. Hinch stepped out of the dugout to remove Verlander from the game, he pointed to the first row of seats next to the Tigers’ dugout, not the bullpen. The task of pulling the 43-year-old one last time fell to Verlander’s daughter, Genevieve, who greeted her father with a hug on the mound.

The future Hall of Famer couldn’t hold back the tears as the Comerica Park crowd stood to applaud.

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Verlander announced in July that this season would be his last. At the time, he was on the injured list with hip inflammation. He did not pitch in a minor league rehabilitation game before taking the mound against the Pirates, and it was unclear until then how he would perform.

The Pirates hit two solo home runs, by Jacob Gonzalez and Josh Lowe, to take a 2-0 lead when Verlander was removed. They tagged him for five hits in all; Verlander walked one batter and struck out six.

Verlander will retire with 3,560 career strikeouts — eighth all-time.

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Hinch and the Tigers saved the best moment for last. The memorable sendoff concludes a career that saw Verlander throw three no-hitters, win one MVP and three Cy Young Awards, make 10 All-Star teams and win a Rookie of the Year Award.

If being hugged by his daughter wasn’t enough to make Verlander feel old, there was this: he debuted before the first batter he faced Saturday, Konnor Griffin, was even born.

Amid a season that fell short of expectations in Detroit, Verlander was able to give the fans a lifetime memory.

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