Giants’ Justin Verlander still searching for first win since injury comeback

SAN FRANCISCO — As June reaches its midpoint, Justin Verlander is still in search of his inaugural victory with the San Francisco Giants.

Verlander made his return on Wednesday night after recovering from a strained right pectoral muscle. The three-time AL Cy Young Award recipient surrendered four runs, three of which were earned, alongside seven hits in 4⅔ innings against Cleveland.

“It felt great to be back on the mound,” Verlander remarked. “Clearly, I was a bit inconsistent. I aimed to give us a better chance to secure a win, but my stuff felt decent, and I hope to rectify the inconsistency soon.”

This marked Verlander’s first major league outing since May 18. He currently holds a record of 0-4 with a 4.45 ERA across 11 starts after signing a one-year, $15 million deal with San Francisco in January.
Verlander, 42, was activated from the 15-day injured list, while catcher Patrick Bailey returned from the 10-day IL. Right-hander Tristan Beck and catcher Logan Porter were sent down to Triple-A Sacramento.

Bailey, 26, is recovering from a neck strain. He played behind the plate and recorded singles in his first two at-bats.

“His stuff overall was pretty good,” Bailey remarked about Verlander. “He made some mistakes, and they capitalized on them.”

Verlander gave up a run in the first inning when Kyle Manzardo hit a double and scored on a single by José Ramírez.

In the fourth inning, Verlander was let down by a one-out error from second baseman Tyler Fitzgerald. Lane Thomas followed with a single to center, and Daniel Schneemann hit a three-run homer on an 0-2 fastball.

The nine-time All-Star struck out six batters and issued one walk, throwing a total of 83 pitches, with 56 for strikes.

“It was really the three-run homer that did him in,” said Giants manager Bob Melvin. “He just got the ball up higher than he intended. He was navigating through some traffic at times. I expect him to be sharper next time.”

With a career record of 262-150, Verlander has the potential to reach the 300-win milestone next season. For now, he was simply relieved to be back on the mound after what has been a challenging season for the three-time Cy Young Award winner.

“This season has been a mental challenge, just trying to find my rhythm,” Verlander stated. “But regarding the mental hurdle of feeling healthy [tonight], I felt alright.”