Verlander ‘having fun’ after getting Bronx boos

Justin Verlander tamed the New York Yankees, then toyed with their fans.

Verlander slowed down the highest-scoring team in the majors, picking off a familiar opponent by pitching the Houston Astros past New York 5-1 Monday at Yankee Stadium.

“I’ve had some success against them in the past,” he said. “Every day is a new day, especially going up against a lineup like that.”

Facing the only club in baseball that hasn’t been shut out this season, Verlander (7-2) blanked the Yankees until Greg Bird hit a leadoff home run in the seventh.

When he left later in the inning with a major league-best 1.11 ERA, Verlander got a cheer from a solid contingent of Astros fans wearing bright orange behind the dugout but even louder jeers from the local fans.

Verlander enjoyed the moment, taking off his cap and waving it toward the Bronx boobirds.

“Just having fun,” he said. “Yankees fans having fun with me, so I decided to have some fun back.”

NATIONALS 6, ORIOLES 0 >> Anthony Rendon hit a three-run homer to back a sharp pitching performance by Gio Gonzalez (6-2), and visiting Washington won its fourth straight game. TIGERS 9, ANGELS 3 >> James McCann hit a grand slam in the third inning and host Detroit routed Los Angeles. Matthew Boyd (3-4) allowed two hits and no runs in five-plus innings for the Tigers.

INDIANS 9, WHITE SOX 6 >> Edwin Encarnacion homered and had four RBIs, and host Cleveland took advantage of Chicago’s leaky defense to score five times in the fifth inning. BRAVES 4, METS 3 >> Charlie Culberson’s pinch-hit, two-run homer off Seth Lugo (1-1) in the bottom of the ninth inning gave host Atlanta a victory in the first game of a doubleheader.