Justin Verlander almost did it again. Slightly more than a year removed from his second career no-hitter, Verlander nearly threw his third career no-no on Friday night against the Pittsburgh Pirates in a 6-0 victory for the Detroit Tigers.
Going into Friday, there was talk that the game could be something special. With the Pirates having a pretty mediocre lineup and Verlander starting to heat up again in recent weeks, there was plenty of talk amongst fans that Friday night could result in yet another no-hitter. Through eight and a third innings, it seemed like Verlander was going to do it again.
Verlander was just absolutely dominant in this game. Pirates batters didn't stand a chance. Verlander struck out 12 hitters during the game and walked only two. He could not be stopped on this night, at least not until Josh Harrison came up with one out in the ninth inning. He singled into center field, as the ball went just by shortstop Jhonny Peralta. With the hit, Verlander's attempt to become only the sixth player in baseball history to throw more than two no-hitters came to an end.
Although Verlander wasn't able to throw his third career no-hitter, there's no understating his performance on Friday night. He powered the Tigers to victory at a time when they really needed one, and hopefully much like after his no-hitter a year ago, his performance will help power a turnaround for the Tigers after a disappointing start to the season.
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