DETROIT -- Miguel Cabrera took Miami's Adam Conley deep to left field in the fifth inning of Detroit's 7-5 win on Tuesday. With that go-ahead home run, which Statcast™ projected at 424 feet, Cabrera became the ninth active player to homer against all 30 Major League teams.
Cabrera began his career with the Marlins from 2003-07, and Tuesday's game marked just the fifth time he had faced his former team.
• Cast your Esurance All-Star ballot for Miggy and other #ASGWorthy players
"They got the lead in the inning, and we hit home runs," Cabrera said. "It was more special because we were down in the inning."
The fifth-inning blast was also Cabrera's 425th career home run, moving him within one of Billy Williams for 48th all time. After striking out in his first two at-bats against Conley, Cabrera said he was just trying to make contact and make something happen against the lefty's full-count 83-mph changeup.
"You could tell today, in his last two at-bats, even though he struck out, he kind of went into battle mode with two strikes," Tigers manager Brad Ausmus said. "And then [Conley] left an offspeed pitch up in the zone, and Miggy can hit those as far as anyone."
Cabrera said he was happy to get the home run off Conley because he has been struggling against left-handed pitchers this season. His home run came on a day that Marlins hitting coach Barry Bonds, the Majors' all-time home runs leader, called Cabrera a great hitter.
"He's a great hitter of all-time," Cabrera said. "To me, I appreciate that. I need to keep working hard. I see him play, I play against him. It was amazing."