Detroit Tigers righthander Justin Verlander is as close to a sure thing as there is in the majors.
Verlander has won his past 12 starts and is 24-5 with a 2.29 ERA and 244 strikeouts this season. All three of those marks lead the AL, and his wins and strikeouts totals lead the majors. He also tossed a no-hitter in May.
On Saturday night, Verlander will try to become the majors' first 25-game winner since the Oakland A's Bob Welch won 27 games in 1990. His opponent: the Baltimore Orioles.
"It's not anything I ever looked at, like, 'Hey, it'd be cool to win 25,' " Verlander told The Detroit News. "It was always 20 wins. But, you know, that's specifically why I don't set goals, like I've always talked about. You can always let down a little bit if you've achieved what you wanted to, as opposed to (saying) the sky's the limit. You never know what you can achieve, so just keep pushing."
His next start: Game 1 of the ALDS on Friday.
Although manager Jim Leyland made headlines earlier this week by saying he wouldn't start Verlander on short rest in the postseason, Verlander is ready to do just that.
"This is why I work hard in the offseason, to be prepared for situations like this," Verlander told The Detroit News. "Do I think I could do it? Absolutely. I haven't done it before. But if the situation warrants it, I'd be more than happy to go out there and try to get us a 'W.' "
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