Sometimes baseball doesn’t make sense. In three previous games against Texas this year, Justin Verlander has pitched 20 innings, allowed two runs and has 23 strikeouts. Before tonight his record against the Rangers was 1-1.
And yet tonight he gets the victory, surrendering more runs than in the 3 previous games combined. Though notching a quality start, it is only the second time all year that he has allowed as many as three earned runs in a game. For ERA league leading Justin Verlander (1.45) that’s a terrible game, but for the team it’s the 40th victory of the season, and Verlander’s eighth win against two losses.