CLEVELAND -- When Carlos Santana sent Justin Verlander's first-pitch curveball into the right-field seats Saturday, he passed former Indians and White Sox great Jim Thome for the most home runs against Verlander, who was asked about the comparison.
"Pretty similar," Verlander said. "I either strike him out or get weak contact or he hits a bomb. It's pretty similar to Thome."
The answer was interesting. Thome was known for picking up on Verlander tipping pitches early in his career. Four of Thome's seven career homers against Verlander came in the Tiger's rookie season of 2006, when Thome was 6-for-12 off him.