Justin Verlander Forces Screenwriters to End Moneyball 2 The Same Way

The Oakland Athletics may have been good this season, but they’re not Justin Verlander good. After another year leading the league in innings and strikeouts and ERA+, and coming off a 7 inning, one run start earlier to start the series, Verlander was dominant once again. Ho hum tiddly dum. Nothing to see here.

This time, Verlander didn’t relinquish the ball, throwing 122 pitches across nine innings, striking out eleven, walking one, and giving up four dinky hits. Only Yoenis Cespedes, whose own season was shocking in how quickly he progressed and caught up to the speed of Major League Baseball, got anything other than a single.

The A’s have nothing to be ashamed about, other than maybe their love for Weekend At Bernie’s, as their rotation of rookies and lineup of castoffs did far more than anyone could have expected. Jarrod Parker did his best, giving up only two runs before the wheels came off in the seventh, but when facing Justin Verlander, one can’t merely be good, they have to be otherworldly.

The Tigers will now have a night to rest up and watch some TV while waiting to see whether the Yankees or Orioles will be joining them in the ALCS. The Athletics are forced to go home once again, Billy Beane’s master plan working in the regular season, but yet to find a foothold in October.