Justin Verlander Hurls No-Hitter

Using a fastball that regularly topped 100 miles per hour, a curveball that buckled the knees of just about every Brewers hitter, and a change-up that resembled that unhittable pitch that Bugs Bunny once threw, Detroit Tigers' pitcher Justin Verlander no-hit the Milwaukee Brewers in grand fashion, striking out 12 hitters in the process. Verlander's no-hitter was the first thrown by a Detroit Tiger since Jack Morris in 1984, and it was the first Tiger no-hitter pitched at home since Virgil Trucks shut down the Washington Senators on May 15, 1952.

Verlander Thrilled, Brewers Impressed

After the game, Verlander wasn't afraid to speak the truth. "It was the best thing that ever happened to me," he said. When asked if he thought about the no-no during the course of the game, Verlander responded: "About the fifth or sixth you can't help but think about it a little," Verlander said. "Everyone kept giving me high-fives and nobody came and sat next to me."

Brewers third baseman Craig Counsell, who was called out twice on strikes, expressed the Brewers' hopelessness and frustration, "We only hit four or five balls hard all night ... that's how dominant he was."

"The guy was throwing 99 with a great hook and a good change," Brewers' second baseman Tony Graffanino said. "That's tough to beat."

After pitching eight innings and walking four, the 24-year-old trotted to the mound for the ninth to a standing ovation from the crowd of 33,555. "I had way too much adrenaline, to be honest," Verlander said. Amped up, he struck out Counsell and Tony Graffanino. That brought up J.J. Hardy, and Verlander had a momentary lapse on the hill, throwing a high breaking ball that almost hit Hardy.

At that point, Verlander stepped off the mound. I said, 'Let's get it back down,"' he said.

Verlander then got Hardy to lift a high fly ball that rightfielder Magglio Ordonez caught at the edge of the warning track.

Teammates and Manager Overhwhelmed

Verlander didn't even see the ball settle into Ordonez's glove. "I wanted to watch the catch, but Pudge was yelling in my ear," he said. Rodriguez was already at the mound and hugged Verlander as the pitcher wheeled around. "I think I was more excited than he was," Rodriguez said.

Manager Jim Leyland, not the softest-hearted of fellas, was very emotional after Verlander's gem. " A lot of things go through your mind when something like this happens," Leyland said, fighting back tears. "I'm very happy for him, happy for the team, happy for the fans to see something special."

Verlander Will Go for Two on Sunday

In the 140-year history of professional baseball, only Johnny Vander Meer of the 1938 Cincinnati Reds has thrown back-to-back no-hitters. On Sunday, June 17th, Verlander will try to match that feat when he faces the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park in the City of Brotherly Love.

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