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Justin Verlander Poked Fun at Himself After First Career Win at Giants Ballpark

Verlander couldn't resist making a joke at his own expense.

Tim Capurso

Justin Verlander also surpassed Walter Johnson for ninth place on MLB's all-time strikeout list.
Justin Verlander also surpassed Walter Johnson for ninth place on MLB's all-time strikeout list. / Ed Szczepanski-Imagn Images
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There's a first for everything.

And on Tuesday night, Justin Verlander, 42 years young, managed to achieve something he had yet to do in his career—and shockingly, this season: win a game at Oracle Park.

That's right, the San Francisco Giants righthander had to wait until his 13th home start of the season to win his first career game at the ballpark he's called home this season. And Verlander couldn't resist making a joke at his own expense after achieving the feat.

"I mean no offense but I wish I had one in 2012," Verlander quipped, referring to the 2012 World Series that his Detroit Tigers lost to the Giants, whose ballpark was named AT&T Park before the naming rights changed.

With the win at Oracle, Verlander has now won a game in every MLB ballpark except for the St. Louis Cardnals' Busch Stadium and the Milwaukee Brewers' American Family Field.

The three-time Cy Young Award winner pitched six innings, allowed two earned runs and struck out five batters in the victory over the Cubs, which also saw the future Hall of Famer put even more distance between himself and baseball legend Walter Johnson on MLB's all-time strikeout list.

"It's pretty amazing. I mean, Walter Johnson's a legend," Verlander said. "It's one of those things—you take a lot of pride in it... Maybe when I rest my head on my pillow tonight, or maybe in the offseason. I don’t know,” Verlander said. “Last few years, especially coming back from Tommy John, it’s been an emphasis of mine to pay attention a little bit more to things."

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Tim Capurso
TIM CAPURSO

Tim Capurso is a staff writer on the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. Prior to joining SI in November 2023, he wrote for RotoBaller and ClutchPoints, where he was the lead editor for MLB, college football and NFL coverage. A lifelong Yankees and Giants fan, Capurso grew up just outside New York City and now lives near Philadelphia. When he's not writing, he enjoys reading, exercising and spending time with his family, including his three-legged cat Willow, who, unfortunately, is an Eagles fan.

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