Justin Verlander notched the 3,500th strikeout of his career on Sunday, becoming just the 10th pitcher in Major League Baseball history to reach the benchmark. The 42-year-old right-hander achieved the milestone by fanning the side in the first inning against the Washington Nationals at Oracle Park, drawing a standing ovation from the crowd of about 40,000. Verlander finished the afternoon with six strikeouts, giving him 3,503 overall, but the personal achievement was tempered by the San Francisco Giants’ 8–0 defeat. He allowed five runs on 11 hits over five innings, including a two-run homer by CJ Abrams in a four-run second frame that put the Nationals firmly ahead. The Giants managed only three hits off Nationals starter MacKenzie Gore and slipped to 59-59, four games out of the final National League wild-card spot with 44 contests remaining. Verlander joins a strikeout fraternity headed by Nolan Ryan (5,714) and most recently expanded in 2021, underscoring his Hall-of-Fame résumé even as San Francisco’s postseason hopes waver.