DETROIT — Justin Verlander, a Goochland, Virginia, native and one of the greatest pitchers in baseball history, walked off a major league mound for the final time Saturday — in tears, with his 7-year-old daughter by his side.
The emotional farewell came in the Detroit Tigers' 4-3 come-from-behind win over the Pittsburgh Pirates. After Verlander recorded an out to start the sixth inning, Tigers manager A.J. Hinch walked toward the plate and pointed toward the seats. Genevieve Verlander, wearing a Tigers jersey with her father's name and number, sprinted to the mound and hugged him. Verlander reached down to embrace her and began shaking and sobbing.
Verlander, 43, allowed 2 runs and 5 hits in 5 1/3 innings, with one walk and 6 strikeouts in a 91-pitch outing. It was only his second start of the season and first since March 30, after a year derailed by a sore hip and hamstring injury.
The Tigers rallied in the ninth to win, with Eduardo Valencia hitting a game-ending, two-run homer off Mason Montgomery. Kevin McGonigle added an RBI groundout in the three-run inning.
Verlander finished his career 266-159 in 557 starts with a 3.33 ERA and 3,560 strikeouts — eighth on the all-time list. He won three Cy Young Awards, an MVP, a Rookie of the Year honor, and two World Series titles over a career that began when the Tigers selected him with the No. 2 overall pick out of Old Dominion University in 2004.
Verlander announced in July that the 2026 season would be his last. He had made only one start before landing on the injured list with hip inflammation and a hamstring strain.
Pittsburgh took a 2-0 lead on solo home runs by Brandon Lowe in the fourth inning and Nick Gonzales. Javier Báez hit an RBI double in the sixth, and Bryan Reynolds extended the Pirates' lead to 3-1 with a run-scoring triple in the eighth before Detroit's ninth-inning rally.
Jacob Waguespack pitched 1 1/3 scoreless innings for Pittsburgh. Pirates center fielder Oneil Cruz left in the third inning after falling awkwardly while trying to field a bloop single in the first.
The Pirates' Kirby Yates made his first career start after 517 relief appearances. The 39-year-old right-hander allowed 2 hits over 1 2/3 innings in what he said might be his final game as well.
Pittsburgh improved to 81-80 and needs one win for its first winning season since 2018.
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Watch Virginia's own Justin Verlander makes his tearful final exit from baseball
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