Verlander barely missed a perfect game. The only runner he allowed came with one out in the eighth inning when J.P. Arencibia walked on a full count, with Verlander's 12th pitch to the rookie just an inch or two outside.
Verlander struck out 12 in his first no-hitter against the Milwaukee Brewers on June 12, 2007. This time, he fanned Rajai Davis to end it for his fourth strikeout of the game. The overpowering right-hander threw 108 pitches, 74 for strikes, against a Blue Jays lineup missing ailing slugger Jose Bautista.
"Just as good as the first," Verlander said.
"I felt like tonight I had really good control of my fastball, and I just used that to my advantage," Verlander said. "My breaking ball was surprisingly my worst pitch. That's probably indicative of why I didn't have many strikeouts. I was just able to move the ball around and keep guys off balance and get some quick outs."
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