Houston's star pitcher shined during his Motown homecoming, as returning home inspires memories of former Detroit hurlers.

DETROIT — Somewhere in the blur of a white-knuckle pitching duel, Will Vest looked at teammates in the Detroit Tigers bullpen and made a joke. “Actually,” Vest said later, “not really a joke.”

They are two of the best starting pitchers in baseball. Two All Stars. Two Cy Young candidates sharing the mound.