It's a no-no to miss a Justin Verlander start

Prepare to be transfixed every five days every summer for the rest of your lives. Well, OK, maybe Tigers star Justin Verlander doesn’t quite have that hold, but he’s getting close.
My first reaction when Verlander lost his latest no-hit bid with one out in the ninth against the Pirates was this: Why wasn’t I at the ballpark??!! I violated my own rule! (I was in a great restaurant, shoveling food into my mouth without ever looking away from the TV. Takes talent, trust me.)
My second reaction was: He’s going to pitch five no-hitters before his career is over.
My third reaction was: Maybe he won’t pitch another no-hitter, because if one feeble swing by some Pittsburgh player named Josh Harrison can ruin a gem, it’s harder to achieve than we fairly acknowledge.
Harrison’s hit in the ninth was a soft liner on a 1-2 pitch that found its way into centerfield. (If I was shortstop Jhonny Peralta, I’d have done a flat-out dive, even if it was unreachable). Verlander finished with a one-hitter, striking out 12. He’s 5-1 with a 2.14 ERA and is the defending A.L. Cy Young and MVP winner, and has a shot to capture both again. His numbers actually are trending better than his 24-5 and 2.40 ERA in 2011.
Verlander, 29, is adding depth to the mysticism of the hard-throwing, uniquely gifted pitcher, and the most apt comparison is Nolan Ryan. Every time Ryan took the mound, a no-hitter was possible, and he threw a record seven. Verlander has two, and only five pitchers in history posted three or more — Ryan, Sandy Koufax, Bob Feller, Larry Corcoran, Cy Young.
The incredible thing is, Verlander has taken five no-hit bids into the eighth inning. He has the 100-mph fastball, the wicked curve and the ability to change speeds by the slightest (or widest) margins.
Verlander also has the unusual ability to battle through the famous no-hitter jinx, which doesn’t really exist but is defied anyway by annoying miscreants who shout it or type it on Twitter. (Heh-heh. What are they thinking?!) These people do not understand their tremendous powers while sitting in living rooms 20 miles from the ballpark, sipping on lime-accented cocktails.
So I do think Verlander will throw more no-hitters, even with all the scrappy Harrisons lurking out there. He won’t approach Ryan’s otherworldly total, but he doesn’t need to. He’s already a comparably complete pitcher, with a 112-58 career record and 3.47 ERA. Ryan’s numbers: 324-292, 3.19 ERA. Ryan was awe-inspiring, but in 27 major-league seasons, he topped 20 victories only twice.
Every time Verlander does what he did Friday night, it’s amazing how easy he makes it look. And then, with one soft swing, we’re reminded how hard it is to finish it off.
Bob.wojnowski@detnews.com