DETROIT (AP) -Justin Verlander found out real quickly how much a no-hitter changed his life.
When the Detroit Tigers young ace walked into a restaurant with his girlfriend, he was greeted with a standing ovation.
“Yeah, the second one of the night,” Verlander said Wednesday, about 17 hours after pitching a no-hitter against the Milwaukee Brewers.
Verlander was not-so-special when he reported to Comerica Park for Wednesday night’s game.
“I had a drug test,” he said. “I guess that happens when you throw 100-something in the ninth inning.”
Brewers slugger Prince Fielder said Verlander does more than simply fire away.
“He never throws his fastball down the middle,” Fielder said. “When you’re hitting your spots at 100, to be honest, it’s going to be a tough day.
“The guy throws 95 to 100, so you’re not looking for a slider, and when he throws it that good for a strike it just kind of buckles you and you have to tip your cap.”
The NL-Central leading Brewers had 22 hits in their previous game, the most by a team before being held hitless since 1900, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.
Bill Hall drew three walks, the first to reach base three times for a hitless team since 1970 according to Elias, and declared himself lucky.
“He’s got electric stuff. It won’t be his only no-hitter,” Hall said. “There’s nobody in the National League like him, not with the control and power that he has.”
Verlander, last season’s AL Rookie of the Year, struck out a career-high 12. He reached 99 mph on the radar gun in the first eight innings, then hit 102 in the ninth.
Verlander also mixed in a wildly breaking curve and an outstanding changeup.
Detroit designated hitter Gary Sheffield said only a young Roger Clemens can compare to the 24-year-old Verlander.
“He has an overpowering fastball like Roger did when he came into the league and (Clemens) had other pitches he could go to. When those pitches were working, you had no chance,” said Sheffield, whose major league debut was in 1988 with Milwaukee. “I would compare him to my uncle (Doc Gooden), but he was a two-pitch pitcher.
“Verlander has more pitches, so I can only compare him to Clemens.”
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