Justin Verlander News: Blanks Cardinals in no-decision

Verlander didn't factor into the decision against the Cardinals on Saturday, tossing six scoreless innings while allowing three hits and striking out six.

Verlander was far more efficient than his prior outing, when he needed 121 pitches to get through five frames. He required just 88 pitches to complete six shutout innings this time around, marking the second consecutive start in which the veteran righty allowed only three hits while blanking his opponent. Verlander's second half has been uneven -- 15 of his 18 earned runs have come in three of his 10 outings since the All-Star break -- but when he's on, he's been nearly untouchable. The 42-year-old will take a 4.09 ERA, 1.39 WHIP and a 120:43 K:BB into his next scheduled start against the star-studded Dodgers, perhaps ready to build on his recent dominance.