Diamondbacks strike Justin Verlander early in Tigers return

The hard hits kept coming.

That was the extent of Justin Verlander’s first Detroit Tigers start since Aug. 30, 2017.

The nostalgia ended early Monday night against the free-swinging Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field.

Verlander yielded five runs on five hits, including a three-run home run by Corbin Carroll, through three innings.

A future Hall of Famer, Verlander’s pitches didn’t appear to fool many opponents in the early innings. He surrendered seven of the eight hardest hit balls Monday. And that was only one time through the Diamondbacks’ batting order.

Justin Verlander struggles early vs. Diamondbacks

The Tigers’ No. 2 overall draft pick in 2004, Verlander admitted to still getting “nervous” before appearances. Monday was no exception, 3,135 days since his last Tigers start.

“I'm an emotional person,” Verlander told Tigers reporter Daniella Bruce. “Walking on the field (Monday), walking to the dugout got me a little bit ... that caught me by surprise a tad. I embrace that. It's who I am and it’s fun.  

“It’s nostalgic for a good reason."

Just not for very long.

The Diamondbacks hit the 43-year-old veteran hard early, recording five runs 11 batters into the outing.

Verlander allowed two first-inning runs on 28 pitches. Once known for hitting triple digits on clutch pitches late in games, his fastball averaged 93.2 mph during the opening stanza. He was pulled with two outs in the fourth inning, trailing 5-0.

Opening the season as the No. 4 starter, will Verlander continue to make the Tigers nervous?