“Justin Verlander may want to think about retirement!” - MLB fans react as Astros ace struggles against D’backs in humiliating loss at home
Justin Verlander and the Houston Astros are coming off a terrible 12-6 loss Sunday night against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Minute Maid Park. The Astros' ace had a rough outing as the D'backs offense dominated throughout the game.
The veteran pitcher was rocked after surrendering eight runs in less than three innings. It's not often that fans get to see Verlander in such a situation, but of late, he's been struggling to make ends meet.
Pavin Smith got the D'backs on the board first with a three-run home run in the second inning. Verlander's rough night continued after surrendering another grand slam to Smith in the top of the third. It's been a tough time for Astros fans, but MLB fans took to social media, reacting to the pitcher's disastrous performance.
Here's a look at some of the fan reactions on X.
"Justin Verlander may want to think about retirement!" wrote one fan on X.
"Can u settle with directv already?" another fan added.
"Words can not express how happy I am that he’s not in Queens anymore," one fan chipped in, referreing to Verlander's stint with the Mets.
Comments continued to flow as several called out Verlander to retire.
"Verlander is cooked. Time to retire," added one fan.
"Sometimes you are the Hammer and sometimes you are the nail," wrote one fan.
"When you allow Pavin Smith to do that to you, it’s time to retire. Future HOF, nothing more you need to prove," another fan chimed in.
Justin Verlander feels the Diamondbacks' offense hit good pitches
Verlander has been a key player for the Astros, but after his last outing, his ERA increased to 5.30. Despite his loss, Verlander seemed confident, agreeing that the D'backs offense hit good pitches.
“Felt good physically, but obviously the results were atrocious. Guys hit a lot of good pitches, I thought. “I’ll look at some stuff tomorrow, but overall felt like the ball was jumping out a little bit better. Ironically, felt like the fastball was a little crisper, although it got me in trouble today," Verlander said per MLB.com.
Justin Verlander is at the tail end of his career, but the 41-year-old will look to make one more playoff run with the Astros before he retires.