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Astros Pitcher Punked With $1 Million Lunch Bill in Beverly Hills

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Justin Verlander paid a hefty price for dining out in the city he beat

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Houston Astros v Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
Justin Verlander
Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images
Farley Elliott is the Senior Editor at Eater LA and the author of Los Angeles Street Food: A History From Tamaleros to Taco Trucks. He covers restaurants in every form, from breaking news to the culture, people, and history that surrounds LA's dining landscape.

The wounds of a Los Angeles Dodgers World Series loss are still fresh for many around the city, as evidenced by a recent prank played on Houston Astros pitcher Justin Verlander at the Beverly Hills Hotel. The star pitcher for the championship team got tagged with a lunch bill for well over a million dollars at the Beverly Hills Hotel’s Cabana Cafe last Friday, thanks to a special line item on the receipt built that read simply: Dodger Killer.

Verlander showed off his midday receipt on Twitter, highlighting the “miscellaneous” million-dollar charge tacked onto his final bill. The seven-figure drop brought his total bill to nearly $1.1 million after taxes and the actual (very pricey) meal, which included a $9 latte, $42 McCarthy salad, and $30 stack of pancakes.

That’s not to say Verlander couldn’t afford the bill, even with the pranky add-on. He’s one of the most expensive players in all of baseball already, but tells USA Today that the management team at the restaurant actually comped the whole meal after having a laugh about the fake $1 million line item.

As for the Dodgers, they’re still jockeying for position in the playoffs, but at least the food at the stadium continues to improve.