Given Chance, Cabrera Comes Through In Clutch
Now you know why Texas manager Ron Washington walked Miguel Cabrera intentionally Monday even though the Tigers slugger represented the tying run.
Avoiding pitching to Cabrera helped earn Texas a 2-0 victory Monday, but Tuesday there was nowhere to put the Detroit first baseman.
Cabrera grounded a game-winning single to left field with two outs and the bases loaded to give Detroit a 5-4 victory over Texas.
It was only the Rangers' second loss of the season, and it was only the Tigers' fourth win.
"I wouldn't have made a big deal had we not won," manager Jim Leyland said, "but people are getting a little restless -- and I understand that.
"It's just that we can't. We've got too many people with track records, and if they all play up to their track records, when it's all said and done, we'll be in the hunt."
The Tigers accomplished their goal of handing a lead to setup man Joaquin Benoit -- but he uncharacteristically muffed it, giving up a two-out, RBI single to Nelson Cruz in the eighth to create a 4-4 tie.
Leyland sent his closer, Jose Valverde, out for a scoreless ninth, and Detroit squeezed out a run in the bottom of the inning.
Alex Avila laid down a sacrifice bunt after Brandon Inge singled leading off. Austin Jackson walked and Ryan Raburn walked with two outs to load the bases. Cabrera rammed a 2-1 pitch between short and third to end the game.
Victor Martinez was the starting catcher against a Texas lefty, and Don Kelly pinch-ran for him after Martinez walked with one out in the eighth. That left Leyland with just Avila and meant he had to keep emergency catcher Kelly in the game with a double-switch.
That left Detroit with just one healthy player on the bench, Will Rhymes. Magglio Ordonez is getting some time off due to some swelling behind his Achilles tendon.
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