Justin Verlander came unprepared and NL batters were ready – MLB Update
Justin Verlander will be very disappointed with his effort in the All Star Game on Tuesday evening. The 2011 American League Most Valuable Player tried to use his fastball weapon but the National League hitters were prepared to deal with it.
In Midsummer Classic, you expect the least unexpected to happen. After all, that is what makes it fun to watch. Verlander had been one of the most successful pitchers of the Major League for the last few years and American League Manager Ron Washington had
no hesitation in giving him the chance to start Tuesday’s game.
However, Verlander tried a bit too much in an effort to please his fans all across America and in the Caribbean. The 2011 Cy Young Award started with his regular 93 mph fastball and gradually picked up the pace to touch 100 mph several times in his only
inning pitched.
"We're both going to be aggressive," said Dan Uggla, who scored against Verlander. "That's why this game is a lot of fun, because you see pitchers challenging hitters, not just throwing 2-0 change-ups and sliders all the time. That's what makes this game
fun."
"I'd never faced him before, but watching him on TV a lot, I know a lot of times he comes out throwing low 90s," San Francisco catcher Buster Posey said in an interview. "I figured he would be pumping fuel with just having an inning or two."
The NL had done their home work and they roughed him up in the first inning, scoring five runs on four hits to take complete control of the situation. It will not be wrong to say that the Tigers’ ace was more interested in mph than the location of his pitches.
Verlander made similar mistakes early on in his career when he used to throw as hard as possible, not concerned about his accuracy.
Originally, Washington wanted Verlander to pitch the first two innings of the game. However, as Verlander struggled on the mound, the Manager decided to send him to the dugout. It seems, Verlander approached the game as an exhibition event and ended up paying
the ultimate price.
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