Motor City Bengals
FanSided

Detroit Tigers: Ten best pitching performances in team history

By Andy Patton

SAN FRANCISCO - JULY 10: American League All-Star pitcher Justin Verlander #35 of the Detroit Tigers deals during the 78th Major League Baseball All-Star Game at AT&T Park on July 10, 2007 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Jed Jacobsohn/Getty Images)
SAN FRANCISCO - JULY 10: American League All-Star pitcher Justin Verlander #35 of the Detroit Tigers deals during the 78th Major League Baseball All-Star Game at AT&T Park on July 10, 2007 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Jed Jacobsohn/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
11 of 11
Next
OAKLAND, CA – OCTOBER 11: Pitcher Justin Verlander #35 of the Detroit Tigers celebrates after the Tigers defeat the Oakland Athletics 6-0 in Game Five of the American League Division Series at O.co Coliseum on October 11, 2012 in Oakland, California. Verlander pitched a complete gae shut out as the Tigers advance to the American League Championship Series. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
OAKLAND, CA – OCTOBER 11: Pitcher Justin Verlander #35 of the Detroit Tigers celebrates after the Tigers defeat the Oakland Athletics 6-0 in Game Five of the American League Division Series at O.co Coliseum on October 11, 2012 in Oakland, California. Verlander pitched a complete gae shut out as the Tigers advance to the American League Championship Series. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) /

Fitting that this post starts and ends with a pitcher who may go down as the greatest the team has ever seen. Justin Verlander may have thrown two regular season no-hitters, won a Cy Young and an MVP award and made six All-Star games, but the man was somehow even better in the play-offs.

Particularly against the Oakland A’s.

The Tigers were up three games to one heading back to the Oakland Coliseum to face the A’s. Even though the lead was comfortable, the A’s were a 94-win team playing at home and had a lot of life left in them.

Justin Verlander made sure to take care of that.

The ace right-hander made quick work of the A’s in Game Five, throwing a complete game shutout. He only gave up four hits and one walk, while striking out 11. It was an outstanding performance for Verlander to cap off an excellent series. Verlander also started game one, earning the win in seven strong innings while also striking out 11 hitters. Two wins, 16 innings pitched and 22 strikeouts is an incredible series, and Verlander cemented himself in A’s villany that week.

Next: 2006 Tigers: Where are they now?

An honorable mention to the excellent start from Armando Galarraga on June 2, 2010. Galarraga was perfect through 26 batters, but surrendered an infield hit to Jason Donald that was incorrectly ruled by first base umpire Jim Joyce. Had the call stood, Galarraga would have had an 83 pitch perfect game, the first in Tigers history.

Alas, he had to settle for a one-hitter.

Home/Detroit Tigers All-Time Lists