Justin Verlander struck out six in the final start of his major league career Saturday, and Eduardo Valencia supplied a winning finish with a two-run, walk-off homer as the Detroit Tigers beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 4–3.
Verlander, 43, allowed two runs and five hits over 5⅓ innings at Comerica Park. He threw 91 pitches, walked one and left to an ovation after his seven-year-old daughter, Genevieve, came onto the mound to greet him.
The right-hander was making only his second start of an injury-disrupted season and his first since March 30. Hip and hamstring problems had kept him out for nearly six months before he returned for the farewell appearance.
Manager A.J. Hinch came out after Verlander retired Brandon Lowe on a foul popup to begin the sixth inning. Genevieve ran from the stands to her father, who embraced her before walking off the field holding her hand.
His wife, Kate Upton, and their young son, Bellamy, joined them near the Tigers’ dugout. Verlander acknowledged the crowd and his teammates before going down the dugout steps with his family.
Pittsburgh led late, but Detroit scored three times in the ninth. Kevin McGonigle drove in a run with a groundout before Valencia homered off Mason Montgomery to end the game and leave Verlander with a no-decision.
“It was a great finish to a great day,” Hinch said, according to the Detroit Free Press.
Verlander’s final career totals include 266 wins, 557 starts and 3,560 strikeouts, placing him eighth on the all-time strikeout list. His farewell brought to a close a career that began with Detroit and later included stops with Houston, the New York Mets and San Francisco.
He won three Cy Young Awards, including the 2011 award with the Tigers and the 2019 and 2022 honours with the Astros. He was also the American League’s Most Valuable Player in 2011 and won two World Series titles with Houston.
Verlander returned to the Tigers for the 2026 season. Although injuries sharply limited that reunion, his last start came in the ballpark where he established himself as one of the franchise’s leading pitchers.
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