Tigers' Cabrera In Company Of Classic Hitters In Baseball
DETROIT -- Miguel Cabrera is reaching career milestones that rank him with some of the classic hitters in baseball history.
Cabrera will be hitting third again in the order and trying to add to his hit totals on Sunday when the Detroit Tigers close out their three-game weekend series against the Chicago White Sox.
Cabrera doesn't keep track of statistics, but he recognizes the names of the greats. He never dreamed he'd in the same company.
"I knew a lot of those names," the 34-year-old Cabrera said Saturday after joining a list of 39 other players to collect 1,000 extra-base hits in their careers. "I grew up with a baseball family so they always talked about that."
Asked if he knew the second of his two doubles on Friday night was his 1,000th extra-base hit, Cabrera said, "No, I didn't know that. I never expected to do that, be here in this position. It means a lot to me."
His two doubles plus a sacrifice fly gave him four RBIs on Friday night in Detroit's 15-5 win over the Chicago White Sox. He added his 1,001st extra-base hit Saturday, a double to left field in the seventh inning.
Tigers right-hander Justin Verlander (4-4, 4.50 ERA) will make his 41st career start on Sunday against the White Sox. He is 20-13 with a 3.82 ERA against Chicago in those starts.
Verlander defeated the White Sox on opening day but did not face him when the two teams met last week in Chicago. He has struck out at least one batter in 326 straight starts dating to May 4, 2007 -- the longest streak among active pitchers and the eighth longest since at least 1913.
Left-hander David Holmberg will start for the White Sox in his first career appearance against the Tigers.
Holmberg (0-0, 0.87 ERA) will make his second straight start after eight appearances out of the bullpen. He has 13 career starts in the majors.
The White Sox have dropped their last four as part of the start of a nine-game trip. Chicago has lost 12 of its last 15 games away from home.
"Just keep going," White Sox manager Rick Renteria said after Saturday's 10-1 loss, making it 25 runs the White Sox have given up to the Tigers in two games. "They're looking at things the same way I am.
"They know it didn't work out. They know that for the most part the things we needed to get out of them (Saturday) to give us a chance didn't really come to fruition. Just keep going."
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