The 42-year-old’s still got it.
Future Baseball Hall of Famer Justin Verlander continued his nostalgic stretch of pitching excellence and helped snap the Giants’ four-game skid in their 5-1 extra-innings win over the Arizona Diamondbacks on Wednesday.
San Francisco’s right-handed starter tossed seven scoreless innings at Chase Field, allowing just three hits with three strikeouts and two walks over 107 pitches. Verlander favored his four-seam fastball and slider, tossing the former 49 times and the latter 28 times.
“Clearly, [I] was feeling up the zone with my slider,” Verlander told reporters postgame. “We had a long game yesterday with a lot of guys throwing in the bullpen, so I didn’t really want to mess around too much and be too out of zone. I wanted to try to get deep in the game … just get on and get out.
“So that was kind of my game plan, to be really aggressive in the zone and try to get deep into the game.”
The Giants used five pitchers in Tuesday’s loss to the Diamondbacks. Verlander knew his team, eyeing the New York Mets and the National League’s third and final wild-card spot, needed him to deliver once again — and the 20-year veteran sure did.
Verlander has been on a tear over his last 11 games. In that span, he has posted a 2.17 ERA, 1.12 WHIP, .211 opposing batting average, 60 strikeouts and a 3-2 record.
The impressive Wednesday showing didn’t result in a win because the Giants couldn’t muster a hit until Verlander’s seventh and final inning. However, San Francisco’s extra-inning rally prevented its starter’s brilliance from going to waste.
Outfielder Jerar Encarnación hit a single off right-handed Diamondbacks reliever John Curtiss to kick off a five-run 11th inning, with second baseman Christian Koss hitting what ultimately was the game-winning two-run double three pitches later.
Right fielder Grant McCray and first baseman Rafael Devers provided extra insurance with key knocks.
“It’s huge,” Giants manager Bob Melvin said of the win. “I mean, [we] certainly didn’t feel good there for a while … Being able to push through in the end — I mean, [there have been] times this year that’s when we’ve done our best work, late in the game off relievers; happened today, but it all started with JV again.
“It’s too bad we couldn’t get him a win. … To be pitching this well late in the season with as much under his belt, it’s pretty remarkable.”
Verlander didn’t get the victory, but the Giants and their five hits did.
San Francisco, now 76-76, trails New York (78-73) by 2.5 games for the NL’s third and final wild-card spot. The Cincinnati Reds (76-76 with the tiebreaker) and Diamondbacks (77-76) still are in the way of the Giants’ postseason hopes, too.
The Giants entered Wednesday losers of four straight and seven of their last 10. But Verlander’s electricity bought San Francisco more time — against the Diamondbacks and for the rest of the 2025 MLB season.
“He’s pitching with a lot of confidence, knowing that we need him,” Melvin said. “And guys like that step up when you need them.”
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