Verlander (18-6) took the loss against Oakland on Thursday, tossing six innings and giving up three runs on five hits and two walks while striking out 11.
Verlander was uncharacteristically shaky at the outset of the game, allowing three runs on five hits and two walks through three innings. He settled down over his final three frames, however, retiring all nine batters including four by strikeout. Despite the loss, Verlander remains firmly in the lead for the AL Cy Young Award with his 18-6 record, 2.58 ERA, 0.78 WHIP and 275:38 K:BB over 206 innings. He'll have a home matchup with Texas on Tuesday in his next scheduled start.