Justin Verlander isn’t exactly like his teammate David Price, who has said repeatedly he doesn’t look back with regret on giving up a home run to Derek Jeter for his 3,000th hit in 2011 while with the Rays.

“We’ve talked about it before and have differing views on it,” Verlander said after surrendering a homer to Alex Rodriguez on Friday for another No. 3,000. “I don’t ever want to give up a hit. I definitely don’t want to be part of history that way. Hats off to him.”

Verlander was making just his second start of the season after dealing with a triceps injury and Rodriguez’s first-inning blast was one of three homers he gave up in the Yankees’ 7-2 win in the Bronx.
Afterward, the right-hander, who added he’s still rusty, didn’t exactly heap praise on Rodriguez.

When asked about the difference in giving up a milestone hit to Rodriguez instead of Jeter, Verlander chuckled and said: “I’m not touching that. He’s going to get … I don’t need to talk about it.”

Fair enough, but Verlander also knows how dangerous a hitter Rodriguez still is.

“I wasn’t really sure if he’d be swinging early or not,” Verlander said. “In retrospect, I think he was trying to get 3,000 out of the way.”

So when Verlander didn’t get his first-pitch fastball exactly where he wanted it, he was aware he was in trouble.

“It’s a pitch historically I know that he likes,” Verlander said. “It was outside. It was on the black, just a hair up. He knows, especially in this ballpark, just put the barrel on it and it’s going to go.”
At first, Verlander hoped it might be a fly ball to right.

“I thought it was questionable,” Verlander said of whether he expected it to reach the stands. “But then I realized where we were and I knew it was gone. … The guy does have 670-ish homers. I didn’t miss by much. He’s just a really good hitter.”

After the inning, Verlander had a quick chat with Price.

“I came in the dugout and said, ‘I know how you feel now,’ ” Verlander said.