Verlander credits Chacin after duel unravels

ANAHEIM — The last time Justin Verlander won a game at Angel Stadium, he was still a mercurial young pitcher. It was 2010, the year before he won the American League Cy Young and MVP awards, and he threw 125 pitches over five innings of four-run ball, most of them with runners on base.

“I really don’t feel like I deserve this win,” Verlander said at the time.

He has had a few starts here since then where he deserved a win. On Monday, he found himself on the short end of a pitching duel with Jhoulys Chacin, and the wrong end against the bottom of the Angels lineup in a 5-1 loss.

As Verlander headed down the clubhouse steps, his straight-ahead glare seemingly said it all.

“Tough for everybody here,” Verlander said afterwards. “But give credit where credit’s due, that guy pitched his butt off and had us in check the whole game. Had a couple opportunities, just didn’t cash in, and those guys were able to cash in when they had theirs.”

Verlander has had matchups like this before. Last July, he and Chris Archer took perfect bids into the fifth inning before Asdrubal Cabrera got him for a home run, but two Tigers runs off Archer in the seventh …

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