The Pittsburgh Pirates have just five games remaining in the 2026 season. It has certainly been up and down for the organization. The team stayed in the playoff hunt for the majority of the year, but ultimately will fall short of competing in October. It would be fair if some fans have already tuned out the franchise, especially with the Pittsburgh Steelers‘ campaign starting. However, sometimes there are key moments and events to pay attention to in baseball. This will even be the case when a couple of non-playoff teams meet in the final series of their respective years, and, for some, their careers.
Some pretty significant news was announced on Tuesday regarding a no-doubt Hall of Fame pitcher. The Pirates will take on the Detroit Tigers in games 160, 161 and 162 over the upcoming weekend. There is no doubt that the hottest ticket will be for Saturday — game 161.
Brad Galli of Detroit’s media pool reported that manager A.J. Hinch mentioned that Justin Verlander will be starting on Saturday.
“Justin Verlander is “all set” to start Saturday’s Tigers game, AJ Hinch told reporters on Tuesday,” Galli posted on X. “Verlander threw a bullpen, which was one of his final hurdles before confirming his start.”
The 10-time All Star has only thrown in one game all season. He started a contest for the Tigers in March. Now, fast forward to September, and his final professional outing will come versus the Pirates.
Pittsburgh’s goal will be to win the game, but the franchise will take part in a little piece of baseball history. Verlander is one of the best to ever do it. In today’s challenging Hall of Fame voting process, there shouldn’t be a doubt that the long-time Tigers pitcher will get in when eligible.
Pirates Have Had A Tough Time Against Verlander
He is not the pitcher he once was. However, Pittsburgh has a rough track record when going up against the three-time Cy Young. Per StatMuse, he has 10 career outings versus the Pirates. In those contests, he boasts a record of 5-2 to go along with a 3.08 ERA. He adds two complete games to that stat line as well.
Verlander won’t really be expected to throw too much. He is 43 years old and hasn’t been on the bump since March. Despite that, it’s still a very exciting moment for him and his family. Major League Baseball is also losing a great ambassador to the game.
Pittsburgh Will Be Trying To Ruin It For Tigers’ Verlander
At the end of the day, winning still maters. While both organizations are out of the playoff picture, the Pirates are still trying to finish above .500. It will be cool to witness Verlander’s final walk out onto the field, as well as his final exit; however, there is still a task at hand, and that is being victorious.
Overall, Pirates and Tigers fans, along with those who root for the other 28 franchises, should tune in on Saturday. It’s not very often that someone of Verlander’s caliber is making his final ever start after a legendary career.
Pirates To Witness Epic History In 161st Game On Saturday