Justin Verlander’s road to 300 career victories has hit a big roadblock so far in 2025.
Verlander, 42, entered the season with 262 career wins. Now, the San Francisco Giants right-hander heads into his 13th start of the campaign in Sunday afternoon’s rubber match of the three-game series against the host Chicago White Sox with, well, 262 career wins.
That’s not what anybody had in mind when the three-time Cy Young Award winner and 2011 American League MVP signed a one-year, $15 million contract with the Giants in January.
The good news is that Verlander (0-5, 4.52 ERA) will be facing a White Sox team that has the second worst record in baseball (27-56).
Verlander is 23-14 with a 3.66 ERA in 48 career starts against the White Sox, including 8-8 with a 3.94 ERA in 23 starts in Chicago.
He comes in off a 4-2 loss to Miami on Tuesday during which he allowed three runs on five hits over five innings while striking out five. He has completed six innings or more in just four of his 12 starts and allowed three or more runs in six of them.
“I felt like the stuff got a little bit better, the velo jumped up a tad, location was significantly better,” Verlander said. “Again, just a hit here and there I need to clean up. Just kind of finding barrels at the wrong time.
“I need to be a little bit better. The swings and misses and strikeouts are going up which is a good sign. My location is getting better, so things are still trending (in the right direction).”
Verlander hasn’t been helped by a Giants offense that managed just four singles and was shut out for the eighth time this season, 1-0, on Saturday afternoon. San Francisco is 19-16 in one-run games this season and has lost four 1-0 contests.
When asked if his teammates might be a little tight in trying to help push him toward the rare 300-win mark, Verlander bristled.
“It’s not on them, it’s on me,” he replied. “I haven’t put them in good position. Obviously there were times early in the year but you can’t expect to get many wins when you go out there every time and give up three-plus runs and don’t go deep into the game. That’s where I need to do better for sure. I plan on it.”
Right-hander Jonathan Cannon (2-7, 4.66), on the injured list since June 3 with a back strain, returns to try and pitch Chicago to a series victory.
Cannon is 0-1 with a 7.50 ERA in one career start against San Francisco. He gave up five runs on four hits, including three home runs, in three innings in his last big league start on June 2, a 13-2 loss to Detroit.
Chicago, which dropped a 3-1 decision in the series opener on Friday, bounced back to even the series on Saturday as starter Adrian Houser scattered four singles over seven innings while striking out five. Hard-throwing rookie reliever Grant Taylor picked up his second career save with two hitless innings of relief, throwing seven fastballs at 100 mph or better in the process.
“I think everyone’s in attack mode,” Taylor said of the White Sox bullpen. “Nothing to lose. We’re going to try and win every single ballgame and get after guys.”
“I know he wants the ball and he pitches like it,” Chicago manager Will Venable said.
The White Sox played their second straight game without center fielder Luis Robert Jr. who exited Wednesday’s game against Arizona with a tight hamstring. The Chicago Sun-Times reported that Robert is not expected to be put on the injured list and is considered day-to-day.
–Field Level Media
