Justin Verlander can have shining moment for SF Giants by out-dueling Dodgers ace

Justin Verlander's season may not have started out the way he would have liked, but the former Cy-Young winning pitcher has returned to form for the SF Giants recently. Since April 15th, he has a 3.77 ERA and 3.59 FIP. Since his start on July 23rd, he's been even better, with a 2.61 ERA over his last nine starts, and an even lower 2.54 FIP. Despite the good ERA, the Giants have won just three of his last nine starts.

Tonight, the Giants need to find a way to pull out the win. With the New York Mets in free-fall, San Francisco has a chance to sneak into the playoffs as the No. 6 seed, but they need every win they can get. With the Dodgers lining up ace Yoshinobu Yamamoto on the mound tonight, Verlander will need to be on the top of his game once again.

SF Giants need Justin Verlander's best against the Dodgers tonight

Tonight's game represents an opportunity for Verlander. He can redeem himself in the memories of Giants fans who might wish the team had not spent $15 million on the 42-year-old this season.

Verlander's already been on a redemption arc since the All-Star break, but tonight is his chance to complete his redemption arc as a San Francisco Giant and prove himself worthy of his contract with the team.

In fact, if Verlander finishes the season strong and can lower his season ERA under 4.00, he might just do enough to earn himself another contract in 2026. While he is no longer able to pitch longer than five innings in most starts, Verlander's experience and strong finish to the season are probably enough to help him earn another shot.

A weak finish, however, and Verlander could be heading towards retirement even though he has expressed a desire to keep pitching.

Outdueling Yamamoto is no small task. Verlander will need to give everything he's got left in the tank to shut down a powerful Dodgers' offense. Yamamoto, whose season got off to an impressive start, has also been good in the second half of the season. Since July 13th, he has a 2.64 ERA, essentially the same mark Verlander's at since his start on July 23rd.

Verlander is certainly capable of one more legendary outing. If he succeeds, he'll finally have a signature, shining moment for his tenure with the Giants.

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