Miggy passes Big Cat with 400th homer
After first-inning blast, Tigers slugger shows off arm on double play in eighth
ST. LOUIS -- Miguel Cabrera's hot streak continued Saturday against the Cardinals, as the Tigers' first baseman hit career home run No. 400. The home run made him the all-time leader among Venezuelan-born players, passing Andres Galarraga, whom he tied on Friday night.
Cabrera smashed a 3-2 pitch from Tyler Lyons over the wall in straightaway center field in the first inning to give the Tigers a 1-0 lead en route to a 4-3 win in 10 innings. The ball landed in almost the identical spot where No. 399 landed on Friday.
"I never expect to hit 400 in the big leagues," Cabrera said. "I never expect any numbers at all. I just want to play. I just want to play and win games."
Cabrera moved into a tie with Adrian Beltre for 52nd on the all-time MLB home run list. It was also home run No. 262 as a Tiger, moving Cabrera into a tie with Willie Horton for fourth on the team's all-time list.
"Guys were excited for him," Tigers manager Brad Ausmus said. "It's big, No. 400. I believe it's the most for a Venezuelan also. He should be proud of that. A lot of people come out of Venezuela, and now he's the home run king."
The home run gave Cabrera seven hits in his past 15 at-bats, with four homers and eight RBIs during that span.
Cabrera also showed some leather during Saturday's game. In the eighth inning, Cabrera made a tough catch near the stands on a Mark Reynolds' foul popup. Without hesitation, Cabrera whirled and threw to third to get Pete Kozma, who had tagged on the play.
Video: DET@STL: Miggy doubles up Kozma after foul catch
"If you take one second, two seconds to see if he is running, he's got a chance to be safe," Cabrera said. "In that situation, you have to turn around and try to make a good throw to third base."
"It's awareness of what's going on," Ausmus said. "Miggy, I've said it for a little over a year now, he's got a high baseball IQ. He's aware of what's happening around him and he was aware that when he caught it, the guy might be tagging, or he just assumed he was and he came up throwing."
Cabrera was just as proud of the double play as he was of hitting No. 400.
"It was a big play right there," Cabrera said. "We caught them running and we were able to get three outs right there and it gave us a chance to win the game."