Cabrera gets 3,000th hit of his career
Miguel Cabrera of the Tigers acknowledges the crowd after collecting his 3,000th career hit during the first inning of Game 1of Saturday’s doubleheader in Detroit.
Detroit Tigers star Miguel Cabrera delivered the 3,000th hit of his decorated career Saturday, becoming the 33rd major leaguer to reach the mark and the first player from Venezuela to accomplish the feat.
Cabrera made history by grounding an oppositefield single to right through the shift in the first inning of Detroit’s home game against Colorado.
The 39-year-old raised his right arm as he headed toward first base. The crowd of 37,566 at Comerica Park gave him a rousing ovation and chanted “Miggy! Miggy!”
The milestone hit came on a 1-1 pitch from Antonio Senzatela, a fellow Venezuelan, in the first game of a day-night doubleheader. Rockies shortstop José Iglesias, who played with Cabrera on the Tigers, came over to give his former teammate a big hug.
By then, all the Tigers were streaming from the dugout to greet the newest member of baseball’s elite 3,000-hit club. Moments later, Cabrera went behind home plate to embrace his mother, wife, son and daughter on the field.
“I’m happy I hit it here. I’m happy for the people of Detroit to see it,” Cabrera said.
Cabrera soon returned to first base, but he didn’t stay there for long. He scored on a three-run homer by 22-year-old rookie Spencer Torkelson, who is touted as the next big thing in Detroit and has taken over as the Tigers’ regular first baseman with Cabrera now in the role of designated hitter.
When the inning ended, the scoreboard flashed “Congratulations Miggy.” Cabrera emerged from the dugout for a curtain call.
Cabrera wasn’t quite done. He added a two-run single in the sixth, exited for a pinch-runner and drew another huge cheer. The Tigers went on to win 13-0.
Then in the nightcap, which the Rockies won 3-2, Cabrera collected hit No. 3,002 with a first-inning single.
A two-time AL MVP, a Triple Crown winner and an 11time All-Star with four batting titles, he became just the seventh player with 500 home runs and 3,000 hits, joining Hank Aaron, Willie Mays, Eddie Murray, Rafael Palmeiro, Albert Pujols and Alex Rodriguez.
Last August in Toronto, Cabrera connected for his 500th homer. He’s at 502 in his 20th season.
Cabrera is the third player to get his 3,000th hit while with Detroit, joining late Hall of Famers Ty Cobb and Al Kaline.
“Al is one of my heroes. It’s really sad he couldn’t see it because he would always talk about this moment. Hopefully, somewhere right now he’s happy and smiling,” Cabrera said. RAYS 3, RED SOX 2, 10 INNINGS » Kevin Kiermaier capped Tampa Bay’s threerun 10th with a game-ending homer, and the Rays beat visiting Boston after losing their bid for a combined no-hitter in the top half of the final frame.
Matt Wisler (1-0) surrendered Boston’s first hit when Bobby Dalbec opened the 10th with a triple, driving in automatic runner Jackie Bradley Jr. for a 1-0 lead. Christian Vázquez followed with a sacrifice fly to left.
Hansel Robles (1-1) came in for Boston and struck out the first two Tampa Bay batters in the bottom half. But automatic runner Randy Arozarena advanced on a balk and scored when Taylor Walls reached on a throwing error by second baseman Trevor Story.
After Walls swiped second, Kiermaier drove Robles’ 3-1 pitch deep to right for his first homer of the season.
CUBS 21, PIRATES 0 » Alfonso Rivas had three hits and five RBIs, and Chicago stopped a four-game slide by pounding Pittsburgh at Wrigley Field.
Rivas, who was recalled Friday from Triple-A Iowa, capped Chicago’s eightrun second with a threerun homer. He tacked on RBI singles in the fourth and fifth.
The Cubs finished with 23 hits in their most lopsided shutout win dating to at least 1901. Nico Hoerner collected four hits, and Seiya Suzuki, Willson Contreras and Ian Happ had three hits apiece.
Kyle Hendricks (1-1) pitched seven innings of two-hit ball.
GIANTS 5, NATIONALS 2 » Alex Wood pitched five effective innings and the bullpen closed it out as San Francisco won beat host Washington for its third win in four games.
Wood (2-0) allowed two runs and four hits. The left-hander struck out five and walked one.
CARDINALS 5, REDS 0 » Dakota Hudson pitched 6 2/3 innings of one-hit ball, Paul Goldschmidt drove in two runs with a sixthinning double, and visiting St. Louis handed Cincinnati its 11th straight loss.
TWINS 9, WHITE SOX 2 » Byron Buxton and Luis Arraez each had four hits, helping Dylan Bundy and host Minnesota beat Chicago.
Bundy (3-0), who pitched for the Angels last season, continued his surprising start to the season. He permitted four hits in five scoreless innings, lowering his ERA to 0.59, the thirdbest mark in the majors.
BLUE JAYS 3, ASTROS 2 » George Springer hit a leadoff homer in the first game against his former team, and Santiago Espinal homered for the second straight game to lift Toronto over host Houston, which lost its fourth in a row.
The game was tied at 2 with one out in the seventh inning when Espinal connected off Blake Taylor (0-1).
Alek Manoah (3-0) allowed seven hits and two runs while fanning five in six innings.