Justin Verlander makes teary farewell to 21-year career as Tigers rally to beat Pirates 4-3

Justin Verlander bid an emotional farewell to his 21-year Major League Baseball career, accompanied by his 7-year-old daughter during the Detroit Tigers' 4-3 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates. Eduardo Valencia sealed the game with a two-run homer in the ninth inning, off the pitching of Mason Montgomery. Kevin McGonigle's RBI groundout fueled a three-run ninth inning, propelling the Tigers to victory.

Verlander pitched 5 1/3 innings, allowing two runs and five hits, striking out six in his 91-pitch outing. The 43-year-old right-hander, making his second start of the year and first since March 30, had dealt with a sore hip and hamstring injury throughout the season. Brandon Lowe's foul pop-up in the sixth inning initiated the Tigers' rally.

Genevieve Verlander, in a Tigers jersey with her father's name and number, sprinted to the mound and embraced her father, who teared up and began sobbing. Verlander concluded his career with a 266-159 record in 557 starts, a 3.33 ERA, and 3,560 strikeouts, placing him eighth on the all-time list. Pittsburgh took an early 2-0 lead, scoring solo homers by Brandon Lowe and Nick Gonzales.

Javier Báez added an RBI double in the sixth, and Bryan Reynolds extended Pittsburgh's lead to 3-1 with a run-producing triple in the eighth. Jacob Waguespack (2-2) recorded 1 1/3 scoreless innings. Pittsburgh, currently at 81-80, required a win for their first winning season since 2018. Kirby Yates made his first career start after 517 relief appearances, allowing two hits over 1 2/3 innings in what he speculated could be his final game.

The Pittsburgh center fielder, Oneil Cruz, left in the third inning after falling awkwardly while attempting to field McGonigle's bloop single in the first.