Justin Verlander Concludes 21-Season Career in Tigers Victory

Justin Verlander threw 91 pitches and recorded six strikeouts in his final major league start, a 4-3 Detroit Tigers win over the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Justin Verlander ended his 21-season major league career on Saturday as the Detroit Tigers secured a 4-3 come-from-behind victory against the Pittsburgh Pirates. The 43-year-old right-hander allowed two runs and five hits over 5.1 innings, recording six strikeouts and one walk on 91 pitches. Pittsburgh scored their only runs against him via solo home runs from Lowe in the fourth inning and Nick Gonzales in the fifth. Eduardo Valencia eventually won the game for Detroit with a walk-off home run.

Manager A.J. Hinch removed Verlander with one out in the sixth inning after the pitcher retired the leadoff batter. During the pitching change, Verlander’s 7-year-old daughter, Genevieve, surprised him by running to the mound for an embrace. The 10-time All-Star left the field to a standing ovation, accompanied by his daughter, before joining his wife, Kate Upton, and their 1-year-old son, Bellamy, in front of the dugout. The mid-inning transition resulted in a 5.5-minute delay before reliever Tyler Kinley threw his first pitch.

Verlander finishes his career with a 266-159 record, a 3.33 ERA, and 3,560 strikeouts, placing him eighth on the MLB all-time list. Saturday’s appearance was only his second start of the 2026 season following a hip and hamstring injury that sidelined him since March 30. His debut for the Tigers occurred on July 4, 2005, a date preceding the birth of Pirates shortstop Konnor Griffin, who played in the finale.