Justin Verlander Takes Another Step Toward Being a True Ace

You could be forgiven if you were momentarily distracted by Clete Thomas's booming walkoff home run against Baltimore this past Monday.

Last-swing victories have a way of doing that.

But now that we've had a day or two to get the smiles off our faces, let's not forget the true storyline Monday: The performance by Justin Verlander was further proof that he isn't just another pitcher on the Tigers staff, but turning into a bonafide ace.

It's easy to forget that Verlander is just 26-years-old. Currently, he leads the American League in strikeouts and has a 12-5 record with a 3.29 ERA.

But there's still room for growth considering its only his fourth year in the league.

Until this past week, when the Tigers traded for Jarrod Washburn, Verlander was the veteran of the young staff. That's why Monday's game was important.

When Verlander gave up five runs in the first inning, all that could've been flashing through manager Jim Leyland's mind was: "This is the last thing we need."

Day after day, the Tigers bullpen is being called upon as the starters struggle. A 13-inning game here, 12-innings there. Just this past weekend, one of their best pitchers, Edwin Jackson, only lasted four innings.

Then, Monday, Verlander goes out and gets his butt handed to him in the first inning.

At this point, you felt there was no remedy for Tigers fans. But then, Verlander took command and cruised to an easy victory.

He did exactly what an ace is supposed to: He took the team on his back and told them to follow his lead. The result was increased confidence, victory, and a rested bullpen.

After the game, Verlander said:

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"This is one of my favorite starts of my career. In the past, I would have fallen apart. When I struggled in the first, I would never make it out of the fourth. Tonight, I went eight and kept us in the game."

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After watching Verlander throughout the season, we can all say it wasn't his most dominating start. It certainly wasn't his best either.

But what it was, was another step forward in the evolution of the Tigers young ace.