DETROIT – Miguel Cabrera needed only one at-bat on Saturday to deliver his long-awaited 3,000th career hit, quickly reaching the mark as the Detroit Tigers routed the Colorado Rockies 13-0 in the opener of a day-night doubleheader.
Cabrera became the 33rd player in major league history and first Venezuelan-born player to achieve the feat when he grounded a first-inning single into right field. The hit came against fellow Venezuelan Antonio Senzatela and set off rousing cheers and chants at Comerica Park.
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Cabrera added a bases-loaded, two-run single in the sixth, then was pulled for a pinch-runner and drew another huge ovation as he trotted off with 3,001 hits.
The 39-year-old Cabrera became just the seventh player with 500 home runs and 3,000 hits. He joined an exclusive club with Hank Aaron, Willie Mays, Eddie Murray, Rafael Palmeiro, Albert Pujols and Alex Rodriguez.
He's the seventh Latino player reach the 3,000 mark. Pujols was the previous player to reach the mark, doing it in 2018.
Cabrera is the third player to get his 3,000th hit in a Tigers uniform, joining Ty Cobb and Al Kaline.
After getting his 2,999th career hit on Wednesday, he went 0 for 3 on Thursday. The Rockies-Tigers game scheduled for Friday night was rained out, putting history on hold for another day.
Cabrera fouled off the first pitch he saw and took a ball from Antonio Senzatela before his milestone swing.
He raised his right arm while heading to first base as right fielder Randal Grichuk retrieved the ball. The Comerica Park crowd of 37,566 roared and Rockies shortstop José Iglesias, who played with Cabrera on the Tigers, raced over to give his former teammate a big hug.
His current teammates then came streaming from the dugout to congratulate him before he went behind home plate to embrace his mother, wife, son and daughter on the field.
Cabrera scored three batters later on rookie Spencer Torkelson's three-run homer as Detroit jumped to a 4-0 lead. Pinch-runner Eric Haase replaced Cabrera after his two-run single in the sixth.
Tigers starter Tarik Skubal (1-1) allowed five hits and struck out six in six innings. The two players who batted in front of Cabrera, Robbie Grossman and Austin Meadows, combined for five hits, five runs scored and three RBIs. Harold Castro added four hits and scored two runs.
Senzatela (1-1) gave up five runs on 10 hits in five innings.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Detroit SS Javier Báez (right thumb soreness) took batting practice Saturday and could be activated from the 10-day injured list on Sunday. “We're kind of aiming for tomorrow if today goes well,” manager A.J. Hinch said.
ROSTER MOVES
The Tigers placed OF Victor Reyes (left quad strain) on the 10-day IL and recalled OF Derek Hill from Triple-A Toledo. ... Tigers OF Daz Cameron will be recalled from Toledo and serve as the 29th man in the doubleheader prior to the second game. He'll start in right field. RHP Julian Fernandez will be the Rockies' 29th man in Game 2 after a recall from the Albuquerque Isotopes.
UP NEXT
Rockies: LHP Austin Gomber (0-1, 7.00 ERA) will start Game 2 of the doubleheader. Gomber gave up five runs (four earned) in 4 1/3 innings against the Chicago Cubs in his last outing on Sunday.
Tigers: RHP Beau Brieske (0-0, 0.00 ERA) will make his major-league debut in the nightcap. The 24-year-old right-hander has pitched two games for Triple-A Toledo this season, allowing five runs over 10 innings.
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