Justin Verlander picks up first win with Giants in his 17th start since joining the franchise

After 17 starts for the San Francisco Giants, Justin Verlander is finally in the win column.

Verlander pitched five shutout innings against the Atlanta Braves on Wednesday while allowing just one hit. He walked five, including three in the first inning to load the bases. But he got out of the jam and left the game after five innings with a 3-0 lead.

The Giants held on for a 9-3 victory to secure Verlander’s first win of the season. Rafael Devers hit two home runs to help lead the Giants to victory.

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Rough start to season for Verlander

Verlander joined the Giants this offseason as a free agent on a one-year, $15 million deal. A nine-time All-Star and three-time Cy Young Award winner, he’s a future Hall of Famer and one of the most decorated pitchers of his generation.

At 42 years old, he’s not what he used to be on the mound. Verlander posted an 0-8 record in 16 starts with the Giants prior to Wednesday’s win. The winless streak in his first 16 games was the longest for a pitcher in Giants history. Verlander entered Wednesday with a 4.99 ERA, which would stand as the second-worst season mark of his 20-year career (5.48, 2024).

Verlander’s last win before Wednesday was on Sept. 28 of last season, when he was a member of the Houston Astros. And weather even threatened his victory Wednesday, but Verlander pitched through light rain in the fifth inning, allowing him to reach the innings threshold to get the win. The Giants opened the game from there to keep pace in the NL wild-card race.

With the win, San Francisco improved to 54-49 and within 1.5 games of the San Diego Padres for the league’s last wild-card berth. The race projects to remain tight over the stretch run. More efforts like Wednesday’s from Verlander could make the difference for the Giants between reaching the playoffs and watching from home.