Detroit — There seemed a chance Monday, albeit slight, that Justin Verlander would slip into Comerica Park and pretend this was just another game for a big-league ace as focused as Verlander invariably is on destroying opposing batters and teams.
Uh, scratch that.
The man is too human, too tied to his Detroit past, which took on a kind of final, official transition Monday when Verlander and his Houston Astros whipped the Tigers, 3-2.
“The fans here, they never disappoint,” Verlander said in his new Comerica quarters, the visiting clubhouse, after he had showered and changed into black jeans and a dark blue shirt.