Justin Verlander bows out with tearful farewell in final Tigers start

On September 26, Detroit Tigers manager A.J. Hinch signaled the crowd rather than the bullpen as veteran pitcher Justin Verlander took the mound for what became his final regular-season start. Facing the Pittsburgh Pirates at Comerica Park, the 43-year-old allowed two solo home runs—by Josh Lowe and Jacob Gonzalez—and issued one walk, leaving the Tigers trailing 2-0.

After the fifth inning, Verlander’s daughter Genevieve sprinted onto the field to collect the game ball, prompting an emotional embrace with her and later with his wife Kate as the stadium rose in a standing ovation. The outing pushed Verlander’s career strikeout tally to 3,560, the most among active pitchers and eighth overall. Though his fastball still touched 95 mph, he had spent most of the season on the injured list and had not made a rehab start. A pre-game ceremony honored his career with former teammates, family, and Tigers ownership, providing a fitting close to a Hall of Fame tenure.