Justin Verlander's winless streak continued as the Giants lost 4-0 to the Blue Jays.
The San Francisco Giants kicked off the second half of their season with high hopes, especially for veteran pitcher Justin Verlander. He had made mechanical adjustments before the All-Star break and was optimistic about a turnaround. But Friday night at Rogers Centre told a different story.
Rough Night for Verlander Ends Early
Verlander lasted just 2 2/3 innings in his first outing in nine days. He gave up four runs on nine hits — matching a season-high — and left the game with a 4.99 ERA.
The 42-year-old ace now stands at 0-8, setting a franchise record for the longest single-season winless streak by a Giants starter.
His fastball still reached 97 mph, but that power didn’t translate into outs. He recorded zero strikeouts — only the seventh such game in his two-decade career. Verlander forced just five swinging strikes, a sign his pitches lacked the edge needed to dominate.
“I felt better velocity-wise,” Verlander said after the game. “The breaking balls had more bite. But they found holes, and when they hit it hard, it landed in corners. It’s frustrating, but I still feel the mechanical changes are working. The results just weren’t there.”
Blue Jays Capitalize on Big Second Inning
Verlander began strong, escaping the first inning by inducing a double play from Bo Bichette. But the second inning unraveled quickly. The Blue Jays sent 10 batters to the plate during a 33-pitch onslaught. Joey Loperfido started it off with an RBI double. Will Wagner added a two-run double, and Nathan Lukes capped the rally with an RBI single. Toronto took a 4-0 lead and never looked back.
Manager Bob Melvin noted the lack of Verlander’s usual strikeout pitch. “He couldn’t finish at-bats. Typically, he has that out-pitch. Tonight, he didn’t.”
Giants’ Offense Goes Silent Again
Despite collecting 11 hits — more than the Blue Jays’ 10 — San Francisco couldn’t score a single run. They went 0-for-9 with runners in scoring position, a troubling trend that carried over from the first half of the season. This marked the first time since 1959 that the Giants had more than 10 hits without plating a run.
“We’re stringing together good at-bats, but it’s just not clicking,” said outfielder Heliot Ramos, who went 2-for-4. “We had chances. We just didn’t convert.”
Tristan Beck relieved Verlander and delivered 4 1/3 scoreless innings, keeping the Giants within reach. But the offense failed to back up the pitching.
Verlander's Historic Quest Stalls
Verlander remains stuck at 262 career wins. With his eyes on the elite 300-win milestone, the lack of run support has been a major roadblock. The Giants have scored just 26 runs in his 16 starts — one of the lowest run-support totals for any starter in the league.
“We’ve let him down,” Melvin admitted. “He’s always pitching from behind. It would be great to give him a lead and let him pitch freely.”
Ramos echoed that sentiment. “We want to help him make history. He gives his all every time he’s on the mound. We owe him that same energy. He’s a Hall of Famer. He deserves to chase that milestone with our full support.”
Moving Forward
As the Giants look ahead, the pressure builds not just to win games, but to support their veteran leader. Verlander may be showing signs of improvement under the surface, but without run support and better execution in key moments, both he and the team will continue to struggle.
For now, the wait for Verlander’s first win in a Giants uniform goes on — and so does the team's effort to turn things around.
