
Wednesday: Justin Verlander vs Felix Hernandez
First Pitch: 10:10 PM ET
Now we get to the headliner.
Wednesday’s duel between Justin Verlander and Felix Hernandez pits arguably the two best starting pitchers of the last decade in what can only be described as must-see TV—or JV for that matter.
Detroit’s ace will look to keep rolling— against both the Mariners and opposing hitters in general.
In his last start against Seattle, the longtime Tiger threw seven inning, allowing just six hits, two runs and a walk while striking out five on 105 pitches. The future Hall of Famer has pitched to a 3.35 ERA in 131.2 career innings against the M’s.
Since the beginning of July, the former Cy Young and MVP winner has shown the form that helped him claim both awards in the same season.
Verlander has pitched to a 5-2 record over his last seven starts, holding opposing offenses to a 1.85 ERA, a .172 batting average and a .240 on-base percentage. What’s more, he’s also logged 57 strikeouts over that 48.2 inning span.
A number of Seattle’s best hitter have struggled against Verlander. Robinson Cano and Nelson Cruz are both lifetime .216 hitters versus Detroit’s ace, while while Seth Smith is batting .148 against the right-hander.
Elsewhere, Detroit hitters will get there first look at Felix Hernandez this season. The Mariners ace didn’t pitch when the two teams met earlier in the season, but owns a 2.57 career ERA versus the Tigers.
Despite the strong statistics against Detroit, a number of Tigers players have done well against Hernandez. Miguel Cabrera is 11-for-26 with a pair of doubles and RBI while Victor Martinez is 8-for-24 with a home run, four RBI and four walks.
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Other Detroit Tigers with success against the right-hander include Mike Aviles (7-for-20, two doubles and an RBI), Cameron Maybin (3-for-9 with an RBI) and Justin Upton (2-for-6 with a double).