DETROIT, MI (WTKR)- It was delayed a little bit, but Justin Verlanders' Mets debut is finally out of the way. The former Monarch took the mound on Thursday afternoon for the first time in his new threads.
Verlander threw five innings in his first start of the season, giving up two earned runs and scattering five hits. He also tallied five strikeouts while walking just one batter in New York's 2-0 loss to the Tigers.
The former ODU star was knocked around in the first inning. Riley Greene and Javier Baez tagged Verlander for back-to-back home runs in the opening frame, which would turn out to be the only two runs of the contest. He would throw 79 pitches, 52 for strikes.
The reigning American League Cy Young Award winner, Verlander made his first start of 2023 in Detroit, where he spent the first 12-plus seasons of his Major League career. He was traded to the Astros in August of 2017 and would help the Astros to two World Series wins, most recently last season. The former Monarchs signed with the Mets this past offseason.
A shoulder strain sidelined the pitcher for the first part of the season. He threw 4.2 innings of shutout baseball last Friday during a rehab start with AA Binghamton.
Verlander boasts a career ERA of 3.24 and is two strikeouts shy of the 3,200 mark. He boasts 244 career victories and is coming off one of the best seasons of his career. 2022 saw Verlander finish 18-4 with 1.75 ERA. He tallied 185 strikeouts and just 29 walks on his way to his third career Cy Young Award.
