Justin Verlander gave up a go-ahead home run in his first career relief appearance

Baseball is hilarious and perfect and if you disagree on these points you can fight me.

Justin Verlander entered ALDS Game 4 in the bottom of the fifth inning with the Astros up by a run. Boston had similarly just put their own ace Chris Sale in the game in a relief role to try and turn the game around.

The difference between the two is that Chris Sale began his career as a reliever and Justin Verlander did not. The other difference is that Justin Verlander gave up a home run to the very first batter he faced in his very first relief appearance and Chris Sale did not (don’t fact check me on this I don’t have time to look it up but it’s way funnier if that’s the case so just go with me here).

One of the most joyful (to Red Sox fans, at least), humorous (to everybody, hopefully) things that could have possibly happened when Verlander came in the game would have been him completely botching the situation and letting up a go-ahead home run.

An editor at this fine site even called that happening, hoping for maximum possible chaos.

So that’s exactly what happened. Andrew Benintendi came to the plate, Verlander came at him with a slider inside, and the lefty went NOPE and jacked a home run to right field.

Just like that Boston leads, 3-2.

As predicted, the internet loved it.

Fenway wasted no time taunting Verlander, with a classic “Just-in! Just-in! Just-in!” chant coming from the stands. They should hope that taunt doesn’t come back around to bite them in an upcoming inning.