Justin Verlander Explains Trolling Yankees Fan with Hat Tip After Crowd Booed

Houston Astros ace Justin Verlander reveled in the negative reception he received during Monday's 5-1 win over the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium.

Verlander pitched 6.2 innings, striking out five, and allowed an earned run on five hits. Yankees fans let the 2011 MVP have it as he headed to the dugout at the end of his start, and he responded by tipping his cap to the crowd:

"Just having fun," Verlander said of the moment after the game, per the Associated Press (via ESPN.com). "Yankees fans having fun with me, so I decided to have some fun back."

Fans in the Big Apple likely hadn't forgotten the way Verlander silenced the Yankees offense in the 2017 American League Championship Series. He surrendered one earned run in 16 innings as Houston defeated New York in seven games en route to its first World Series title.

Considering the Yankees and Astros are second and third, respectively, in the American League, the Yankees may see Verlander again in October.