Miguel Cabrera blasts walk-off home run in 6-5 Detroit win
By Brad Rowland
The last thing that any opposing pitcher wants to see in the 9th inning of a tie game is Detroit Tigers slugger Miguel Cabrera in the opposing batter’s box. On Saturday night, he proved (yet again) why the pitcher’s fears would be warranted.
Cabrera led off the bottom of the 9th inning by blasting an opposite-field home run off of Kansas City Royals pitcher Aaron Crow, and with that one swing, he ended a spectacular win for the Tigers. It was the 39th home run of the season for Cabrera, and while he may not repeat as a triple crown winner this season (thanks, Chris Davis), his .358/.450/.683 slash line is the stuff that legends are made of.
On Saturday night, Cabrera wasn’t the only hero for Detroit. Prince Fielder improved his “down” season with a 2-for-4 day that included a home run, and the newly-acquired Jose Iglesias added a 3-for-4 day with a run scored. However, the game was dead-locked due to a woeful pitching performance from the Tigers bullpen, and Cabrera took the game into his own hands in the 9th.
It shouldn’t be a surprise to see Miguel Cabrera doing big-time things at the plate, but at this point, it is tough to not marvel at his consistent greatness. We are in the middle of one of the best hitting runs in modern MLB history, and it would be a mistake to not sit back and enjoy it.