Verlander's Nightmare Return: Diamondbacks Destroy Three-Time Cy Young in Tigers Opener
Justin Verlander came back to Detroit looking to prove he still had it. Instead, he got absolutely shelled by the Diamondbacks in his first start of the season, and now the future Hall of Famer is left asking hard questions about what went wrong.
The Diamondbacks dominated the Tigers 9-6 on Monday night in Phoenix, with Corbin Carroll launching a three-run homer and driving in four runs total. It was a rough homecoming for Verlander, who inked a $13 million, one-year deal with the Tigers back in February after spending the first 12 and a half seasons of his career in Detroit before the 2017 trade to Houston.
Verlander Left Searching for Answers
The 43-year-old Verlander lasted just 3⅔ innings, surrendering five runs on six hits and two walks. Carroll's blast in the second inning was the big blow that set the tone early. After the game, Verlander wasn't making excuses. He was honest about how badly things went.
"It's not the way you draw it up, obviously," Verlander told reporters. "You spend all spring training working on stuff, feel OK, and then the first game of the season felt like nothing was right. These guys were on time for everything."
The nine-time All-Star acknowledged that what he showed Monday night can't happen again. "I don't think what I did today is sustainable. If that's how hitters are going to react against me, I need to be sharper than that," he said. Verlander fell to 0-1 and has the Cardinals lined up for his next start on Sunday.
Soroka Steals the Show with Historic Performance
While Verlander struggled, Michael Soroka was brilliant for Arizona. The 28-year-old right-hander threw an immaculate inning, becoming just the fourth pitcher in Diamondbacks history to accomplish the feat. Soroka struck out Javier Báez, Kerry Carpenter, and Gleyber Torres on nine straight pitches, finishing with 10 strikeouts over five scoreless innings on four hits.
The Diamondbacks bounced back after getting swept by the Dodgers to start their season, and they built an 8-0 lead through five innings. Detroit made things interesting with a six-run seventh inning, but it wasn't enough.
"Emotionally, I was excited, but obviously a bit defeated now," Verlander admitted. "That sucks. Not the way I wanted it to go, which is disappointing for myself more than anybody else. But just like I've done my whole career, I come in here and start trying to think about what was off, how I can fix it, why it was off, and get ready for the next one."
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This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.