Detroit Tigers right-hander Justin Verlander flirted with a no-hitter against the Houston Astros on Sunday.
Carlos Pena recorded Houston's first hit with a single in the seventh inning. Verlander ended up allowing two hits, while striking out nine. For a while, it looked like pitch count would keep the right-hander from a long outing.
"I really wasn't thinking about the pitch count," Verlander said. "It really is a non-issue at that point. It's kind of out of my hands. I was early. But I started getting in the sixth, seventh inning, I wasn't thinking about it. You can't play the what-if, should-have, could-have game."
Verlander threw 116 pitches over seven innings.