Justin Verlander still optimistic about 300-win milestone after turbulent season

SAN FRANCISCO — Justin Verlander is 555 starts into his MLB career, but he has been reminded over and over again this season that the learning never stops. Verlander spent much of his summer working on mechanical adjustments to try and be more deceptive, and the endless tinkering with his slider led to a breakthrough that pushed him to new heights down the stretch. But in the ninth inning of his final game of the season, it was a different tweak that needed to be made. With career win No. 266 on the line, Verlander watched nervously as the Colorado Rockies put the tying run on third against closer Ryan Walker. He pulled out all the stops.“I found a different place to sit in the locker room than I had all season,” he said, smiling. “I had a different brand of beer. I just was doing whatever I could.”Spencer Bivens entered and got a strikeout before loading the bases. When he induced a popup down the left field line, Matt Chapman chased it down and went into the netting to end the game and clinch a 4-3 win for Verlander and the Giants. This one got him into a tie for 37th on MLB’s all-time wins list, but the Giants and Verlander would...