Justin Verlander will make it difficult for NL hitters to score runs – MLB Update
Justin Verlander is already making plans to get the better of National League hitters in the All Star game on Tuesday evening. Verlander posted one of the finest seasons of his career in 2012 and he has not shown signs of slowing down this season.
His stats before the All Star Break for this season may not be the same as last year but he has shown same deadly control over his dipping fastballs. Even the hitters who have faced him previously find it difficult to get a hit against him but what about
those National League hitters who have never faced him before.
On Sunday, American League All Star team Manager Ron Washington announced that Verlander will be starting the Tuesday's game at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City. Three of the nine NL hitters have never seen Verlander: Dan Uggla, Pablo Sandoval and Buster
Posey it seems are in for a real treat.
“They are in for a treat," said Texas All-Star second baseman Ian Kinsler in an interview. "Justin Verlander is what an ace is. The velocity he has on his fastball, and the way he commands it on both sides of the plate, makes it difficult in itself to face
him."
"But then you add his secondary stuff on top of that," said Kinsler, who is 3-for-21 off Verlander in regular-season play. "He has one of the best curves in the game. He can spike it (in the dirt) or throw it for a strike. You forget about his change-up.”
The way the Tigers' ace commands his curveballs and fastballs on both sides of the plate is what makes him an asset to have in the pitching attack. The NL batting line-up should be quite nervous as they are just 6-for-42 against Verlander.
Considering one of those hits was a fly ball, they can find it extremely difficult to score against him. Ian Kinsler and rest of the American League hitters have no advice for their counterparts from NL and it will be exciting to see if Verlander can live
up to all the hype. The fans will be looking forward to watching their favourite players battle it out on the field.
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