Houston Astros' Justin Verlander Becomes 1st Player to Reach 100 Wins at Comerica Park

Justin Verlander hasn't called Comerica Park home for over six years, but he's still breaking records in Motor City.

The 40-year-old right-hander took the mound for the Houston Astros against the Detroit Tigers on Sunday, facing off against his former team for the sixth time since getting traded in 2017. Verlander tossed 5.0 scoreless innings, striking out seven as the Astros cruised to a 17-4 victory on the road.

By notching the win, Verlander is now the sixth pitcher in the last 50 years to win 100 games at a single ballpark, according to Bally Sports, and the first to do so at Comerica Park.

Detroit legend Jack Morris actually won 100 games at Tiger Stadium, the precursor to Comerica Park. Roger Clemens also won 100 games at Fenway Park.

Two other active pitchers have won over 100 games at a single stadium – Clayton Kershaw with 110 at Dodger Stadium and Adam Wainwright with 107 at Busch Stadium. Hall of Famer Steve Carlton won a record 117 games at Veterans Stadium.

Justin Verlander recorded his 100th career win at Comerica Park today

He's just the sixth pitcher in the last 50 years to record 100 wins in a single ballpark pic.twitter.com/ApnHCV4c0a
— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) August 27, 2023

The Tigers took Verlander with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2004 MLB Draft, and he was up in the majors the very next season. He played in Detroit for 13 years, going 183-114 with a 3.49 ERA, a 1.191 WHIP and 2,373 strikeouts.

Verlander had Rookie of the Year, Cy Young and MVP trophies on his shelf by the time he left the Tigers, posting the second-highest WAR by a pitcher in franchise history at 56.6.

When he became an Astro, Verlander had 97 wins at Comerica Park. He struck out 10 and allowed two earned runs in 7.0 innings when he made his return on Sept. 10, 2018, then he struck out nine and allowed one earned in 7.0 frames on May 15, 2019.

Verlander got stuck with the tough-luck loss in Detroit on May 4 earlier this year, when he was briefly a member of the New York Mets, as he only allowed just two earned in 5.0 innings.

In his four starts at Comerica Park since leaving the Tigers, Verlander is now 3-1 with a 1.88 ERA, 0.875 WHIP and 11.6 strikeouts per nine innings. For his career, Verlander is 100-51 with a 3.18 ERA, 1.142 WHIP and 8.4 strikeouts per nine innings at Comerica Park.

Verlander has one year left on his contract in Houston. The Astros are scheduled to visit the Tigers from May 10-12, 2024, which could be the weekend Verlander makes his last ever appearance at Comerica Park.

The future Hall of Famer has showed no signs of slowing down, though, winning his third career Cy Young last fall and boasting a 10-6 record, 3.06 ERA and 1.168 WHIP this season.

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