Detroit — When he was managing the Minnesota Twins, Detroit Tigers skipper Ron Gardenhire had a unique game plan against elite pitchers like Justin Verlander.
“We just tried to irritate the living crap out of him,” he said before the game. “Maybe bunt on him, push bunt, make him get off the mound and try to get him mad.”
So, did that tactic ever work?
“No, not really,” he said. “Just made him throw harder.”
Verlander made his 189th start at Comerica Park Wednesday, his second as a member of the Houston Astros and, after they walked off with a 5-1 win, he had his 99th win in Detroit.