The Giants didn’t lack in the hit department, but they hit into three double plays in the sixth, seventh and eighth innings that stifled rallies.

In his Giants debut, Justin Verlander did not look like the oldest player in major American pro sports, holding the Reds to two runs Saturday.

At 42, Justin Verlander is the oldest active player in the Majors, but his remarkable longevity transcends even baseball. The veteran right-hander is also the most senior active athlete in any of the four major American sports,

Justin Verlander reportedly drew interest from several suitors over the offseason, but the Astros, his former team, were the only club known to have spoken with the three-time Cy Young winner before he signed a one-year,

Justin Verlander, making his latest return to Houston, said "there was mutual interest" in coming back to the Astros, but an offer didn't materialize.

CINCINNATI — Logan Webb was eight-years-old when Justin Verlander made his major-league debut on July 4, 2005. He doesn’t remember much about his life at the time, only that he was on summer vacation. An A’s fan growing up, Webb dreaded watching Verlander torment his childhood team during the playoffs.

Pick and choose a cliché if it helps you feel better about the Giants dropping Saturday’s game 3-2 to the Reds. It’s harder to find comfort in any of them after the first loss of the season, though. Nothing can overcome the annual tradition of being strangely disappointed that a team won’t go 162-0.

Justin Verlander was never dead set on joining the San Francisco Giants at the beginning of the offseason. Verlander and Jim Crane, the owner of the Houston Astros, each had interest in Verlander returning to Houston for the 2025 season.