Verlander throws a no-hitter
Justin Verlander threw the first no-hitter in Comerica Park tonight against the Milwaukee Brewers. Comerica Park opened up in 2000. The Detroit Tigers won the game, 4-0.
Verlander struck out a career-high 12 and got a huge assist from shortstop Neifi Perez, who turned a possible single up the middle in the eighth into an inning-ending double play.
The 2006 AL Rookie of the Year benefited from several other stellar defensive plays and worked around four walks in the Tigers’ first no-hitter since Jack Morris in 1984.
Verlander trotted to the mound for the ninth to a standing ovation. He struck out Craig Counsell and Tony Graffanino before getting J.J. Hardy to fly out to the warning track in right field. “I had way too much adrenaline, to be honest,” Verlander said. …
Verlander (7-2) had all of his pitches working, including a tantalizing changeup, in his second career complete game and first of the season. The 24-year-old righty finished with 112 pitches in the no-hitter.
“About the fifth or sixth you can’t help but think about it a little, but you have to go out and pitch,” he said. “Everyone kept giving me high fives and nobody came and sat next to me.”
Among those to congratulate Verlander after it was over was teammate Kenny Rogers, who once pitched a perfect game.
Update: FSN Detroit enjoyed Verlander’s success as their ratings continued to climb during the game and peaked in the ninth inning.
The TV network scored an 8.6 rating (approximately 166,400 households) across metro Detroit, according to Nielsen Media Research, but peaked with a 15 rating (290,250 households) in the ninth inning.
One rating point is equivalent to about 19,350 households.
The game, which the Tigers won, 4-0, over Milwaukee, was FSN’s most-watched of the season when the network had the only broadcast. Opening Day had a 10.3 rating, but it was also broadcast on Channel 2 (Fox).
FSN’s postgame show dipped only slightly overall, netting an 8.3 rating.
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