For awhile, Justin Verlander had to feel like he was still pitching for the Tigers.
The right-hander was out there dealing on the mound, but his team wasn't providing much run support. In fact, the Houston Astros were hitless through six innings and the game was in a 1-1 tie.
But that's when Cameron Maybin, one of Verlander's former teammates in Detroit and another Houston deadline acquisition, delivered a two-run home run in the seventh to make sure the Astros' newest starer had a successful debut.
"It's not like the season is riding on your first start, by any means, but you don't want to come out and lay an egg either," Verlander told USA Today.