SAN FRANCISCO — Justin Verlander made history, but the Washington Nationals played spoiler.
In front of a Sunday sellout crowd at Oracle Park, Verlander became the 10th pitcher to ever total 3,500 career strikeouts. For Verlander, it was the latest of his laundry list of feats that will land him in Cooperstown.
That was just about all the home fans had to celebrate.
Verlander allowed five runs and 11 hits over five innings. Washington’s MacKenzie Gore pitched six shutout innings with 10 strikeouts. Infielder Christian Koss pitched the top of the ninth inning. With a critical three-game series against the San Diego Padres looming, the Giants lost 8-0 to the Nationals, dropping a series to the third-worst team in baseball.
“We got 40,000 people here. We don’t give them anything to root for the entire game other than (Verlander),” said manager Bob Melvin. “Unfortunately, that’s probably as disappointing of a game we’ve had all year.”
Melvin’s frustrations were well-warranted following one of San Francisco’s flattest games of the season. The lethargy surprised Melvin given the energy that the team exhibited coming out of this morning’s hitters’ meeting.
“Everybody was prepared,” said third baseman Matt Chapman. “We were ready to go. We were excited. Our goal was to win today. We went out there and kind of got punched in the face a little bit.”
San Francisco Giants’ Rafael Devers (16) returns to the dugout after striking out in the sixth inning of their MLB game at Oracle Park in San Francisco, Calif., on Sunday, Aug. 10, 2025. The Washington Nationals defeated the San Francisco Giants 8-0. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group)
Verlander entered the day with 3,497 regular-season strikeouts, and he needed only one inning to reach the next big round number.
The future Hall of Famer began his afternoon by striking out James Wood swinging with an elevated 95.3 mph four-seam fastball. He followed up by punching out CJ Abrams swinging with a down-and-in slider that dropped off the table, bringing him one strikeout away from history.
Verlander’s march to history was delayed by back-to-back singles from Josh Bell and Paul DeJong, setting up a matchup against Nathaniel Lowe with two on and two outs. Once Verlander got ahead in the count, 1-2, he reared back and fired a four-seam fastball on the outside edge. Lowe’s foul tip landed right in the mitt of catcher Patrick Bailey. Verlander had his history.
The Sunday afternoon crowd rose to their feet and applauded Verlander, who joined Nolan Ryan, Randy Johnson, Roger Clemens, Steve Carlton, Bert Blyleven, Tom Seaver, Don Sutton, Gaylord Perry and Walter Johnson as the only pitchers to ever reach the milestone. Verlander, in return, tipped his cap as he walked back to the third-base dugout.
“I was happy to get there, happy to have the moment with the fans,” Verlander said. “It’s a cool milestone. I really appreciate what it’s taken to get there.”
The good vibes at the ballpark quickly dissipated.
The Nationals put up a four-spot against Verlander, the backbreaker being CJ Abrams’ towering two-run shot off the right-field foul pole. It was an inning that set the tone for an afternoon that saw the Giants allow 17 hits, tied for the most they’ve allowed in a single game this season. For Verlander, it was the eighth time in his career that he has allowed at least 11 hits.
With a healthy lead, Gore turned in his best start in weeks. Gore entered Sunday having posted an 8.67 ERA over his last six starts, a cold spell that includes a pair of outings against the Padres and Athletics where he allowed eight runs apiece. Against the Giants, Gore returned to his All-Star form with his first double-figure strikeout game since April.
“He was just throwing a lot of strikes with all his pitches,” said Chapman. “He was landing the breaking ball and the changeup and commanding his fastball to both sides of the plate. I thought he looked really good. When somebody’s as good as he is, he’s bound to bust out of it at some point.”
The Giants haven’t played well in San Francisco as of late. Since their series in mid-July against the Dodgers, the Giants have lost 10 of their last 12 games at Oracle Park, a stretch that includes being swept by the New York Mets and Pittsburgh Pirates right before the trade deadline.
After dropping two of three to the lowly Nationals, the Giants will host a Padres team that loaded up at the trade deadline and owns the second NL wild card spot. The Giants have an opportunity to gain some ground, especially as the Mets have lost seven straight. Doing so will require playing better ball than they did this weekend.
“We need to play better, no doubt about it,” Verlander said. “No excuses.”
Washington Nationals’ Jacob Young (30) steals second base as San Francisco Giants’ Willy Adames (2) is late on the tag in the fourth inning of their MLB game at Oracle Park in San Francisco, Calif., on Sunday, Aug. 10, 2025. The Washington Nationals defeated the San Francisco Giants 8-0. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group)
Originally Published: August 10, 2025 at 3:31 PM PDT