Justin Verlander Stuns MLB With Dominant Return: Key Highlights, Reactions & What’s Next

Justin Verlander looked ageless again Saturday night at Oracle Park, spinning seven scoreless innings with eight strikeouts against the Tampa Bay Rays before the San Francisco Giants’ bullpen let a late lead slip away. At 42, the three-time Cy Young Award winner is quietly engineering a second-half renaissance. Over his last six outings he owns a 1.67 ERA, 0.89 WHIP and 38 K in 37⅓ innings, a run that has pushed the Giants back into the National League Wild Card picture and reignited talk of a record-tying fourth Cy Young. Historic strikeout club Earlier this month Verlander punched his ticket to one of baseball’s most exclusive fraternities, becoming just the 10th pitcher in MLB history to notch 3,500 career strikeouts. He reached the milestone by freezing Milwaukee’s Jackson Chourio with a 96-mph four-seamer, drawing a thunderous ovation from a sellout crowd that included wife Kate Upton and several former teammates. Why the old heater still plays • Fastball velocity is back up to 95.2 mph, his best since 2023. • Opponents are batting just .174 against his signature slider since July 1. • A revamped changeup—thrown 11 % of the time—has cut his HR/9 nearly in half. Giants need to capitalize San Francisco has wasted four Verlander gems this season, including Saturday’s, due to late-inning breakdowns and league-worst run support (2.9 R/G in his starts). Manager Bob Melvin hinted at a possible bullpen shakeup and said the front office is “exploring waiver options” ahead of the August 31 deadline. Chasing 300 wins Verlander sits at 297 career victories. With seven scheduled starts remaining, he could become the first pitcher since 2009 (Randy Johnson) to reach the 300-win plateau this season. Ticket demand for his next home outing on August 26 against the Padres has surged 45 % on secondary markets, according to TickPick. What’s next • Aug 26 vs. San Diego Padres – a lineup he hasn’t faced since 2023. • Sept 1 at Los Angeles Dodgers – potential showdown with Shohei Ohtani. • Sept 13 at Colorado Rockies – Coors Field, where he threw his most recent complete game in 2022. Bottom line If the Giants can finally pair some late-inning competency with Verlander’s vintage form, the future Hall of Famer might not just rewrite the record books—he could pitch San Francisco into October and give the Bay Area its first playoff rotation anchor since Madison Bumgarner.