NEW YORK (AP) Justin Verlander has that look: four or five days of stubble when he takes the mound, a focused glare, a game-day demeanor that if not quite ornery is admittedly intense.

"I can't be that guy that rolls in on start day and is just kind of like loosey-goosey and having fun with guys and then try to turn it on when I take the field," he said. "It doesn't work for me."

Back in the major leagues after missing last year due to Tommy John surgery, Verlander once again is among the best pitchers in the game.