Saturday, June 20, 2015

Verlander unhappy after allowing A-Rod's 3,000th hit

Though his teammate David Price views a similar experience positively, Tigers pitcher Justin Verlander isn't exactly thrilled he surrendered Alex Rodriguez's 3,000th hit.

"We've talked about it before and have differing views on it," Verlander told the New York Post after allowing the milestone knock, a solo home run, to Rodriguez in Friday's 7-2 Yankees victory. "I don't ever want to give up a hit. I definitely don't want to be part of history that way. Hats off to him."

Rodriguez deposited a first-pitch fastball from Verlander into the right-field seats in the game's first inning, marking the impressive feat in a way only two others have before. Red Sox great Wade Boggs and former Yankee Derek Jeter also logged their 3,000th hits on long balls, Jeter having done so against Price in 2011.

Verlander said he approached Price in between frames, relating to him over their near-identical encounters.

"I came in the dugout and said, 'I know how you feel now,'" Verlander said.

Rodriguez's homer, his thirteenth of the season, gave the Yankees an early 1-0 lead -- the third straight day he has driven in a run.

It wasn't a bomb by any means -- it reportedly traveled just 373 feet -- but it was still far enough to reach the short porch. ESPN Stats and Info tweeted that the shot would have stayed in play anywhere else, a rather telling sign of Yankee Stadium's offensive advantages.

Even Verlander had his doubts about its distance, brief as they might have been.

“I thought it was questionable,” he said. “But then I realized where we were and I knew it was gone. The guy does have 670-ish homers. I didn’t miss by much. He’s just a really good hitter.”

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Sorry for the Capatcha... Blame the Russians :)