The 21,529 fans in attendance came to Comerica Park on Thursday to see Miguel Cabrera make history with his 3,000th hit.
Although that didn’t happen, they received a consolation prize, watching the Detroit Tigers (5-7) end their three-game losing streak by salvaging the final game of the series from the New York Yankees with a 3-0 win.
While the focus of the day, naturally, was Cabrera — he went 0–for-3 with two strikeouts and an intentional walk, leaving him at 2,999 hits — it was right-hander Michael Pineda who put on a show in his Tigers debut.
The veteran starter was recalled from Triple-A Toledo prior to the contest; he looked much more like the pitcher he was in the final month of 2021, when he went 5-0 with a 1.85 ERA in 24⅓ innings, than his two starts with the Mud Hens (0-1 with six runs allowed in 4⅓ innings).
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“He was great,” manager A.J. Hinch said. “Command of the strike zone, worked efficiently, worked fast, had his three pitches (working).
“He didn’t have a full spring, he didn’t even have half a spring, I mean he had two starts and all the sudden we fire him in against the Yankees, so you can’t say enough about his performance.”
On Thursday, Pineda threw five scoreless innings, scattering three hits with no walks and two strikeouts, while firing 40 strikes on 60 pitches.
So what was working?
“Basically my location with my fastball,” Pineda said. “That’s what I try to do, especially in the first inning, locate my fastball, throw my changeup when I need and my slider when I need, everything was good.”
Pineda, who pitched for the Yankees from 2014-17 before spending 2019-21 with the Minnesota Twins, faced just one jam on the day. After giving up a single to lead off the fifth to DJ LeMahieu and another to Isiah Kiner-Falefa on a hit-and-run, he faced runners at the corners.
But “Big Mike” pitched out of it, inducing a weak fly ball to right field off the bat of Marwin Gonzalez, then getting a running grab in center from Victor Reyes — the ball had an exit velocity of 103.3 mph, an expected batting average of .880, according to MLB’s Statcast.
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The Tigers’ first run came in the third inning. After Willi Castro reached on a single, Reyes replaced him on first after a fielder’s choice. That brought Robbie Grossman to the plate, who roped a double to the left-field wall, scoring Reyes.
“When he can get on base, he really sets things up nicely for our batting order,” Hinch said of Grossman. “I know everybody has asked me questions about our offense, and guys getting on base and not getting hits, which has been an issue the first 10-12 games.
“But Robbie Grossman conducts really professional at-bats, he’s going to get on base, the back of the baseball card will tell you, and today was an important reminder to let these guys get settled in.”
The score stayed there into the eighth inning, despite a jam for the Tigers’ bullpen. Alex Lange opened the frame and gave up two singles and a walk, to load the bases with one out. Manager AJ Hinch brought on Gregory Soto.
The lefty was efficient, getting a chopper from Anthony Rizzo for a force out at the plate, then got Giancarlo Stanton to ground out to first baseman Spencer Torkelson.
“The strike-throwing has been really really good, we’ve seen the growth in that department,” Hinch said of Soto. “His emotions are in check but his intensity doesn’t waiver. He’s got a ton of confidence in both his pitches.
“I just love his demeanor as much as I love his stuff … his growth as a person and a competitor has been really fun to see.”
Detroit came to bat in the bottom of the inning, and the first three runners reached — on a Reyes double, a Grossman single and a Jonathan Schoop walk to load the bases with no outs.
Jeimer Candelario then grounded back to the pitcher to start a 1-2-3 double play, leaving runners on second and third and first base open.
Yankees manager Aaron Boone intentionally walked Miguel Cabrera and the fans were livid, all on their feet alternating boos with chants of “Yankees suck!” and “Overrated!”
But Austin Meadows came through, blooping in a two-run double to give Detroit a 3-0 lead.
“I don’t think karma reared its ugly head there,” Hinch said. “I just think Austin got a nice pitch to hit and found some outfield grass.”
Soto gave up a one-out single in the ninth, then induced a double play to finish the five-out save.
The walk heard ’round Comerica
Comerica Park hasn’t heard boos like Thursday’s in quite some time.
Boone’ intentional pass for Cabrera was a common baseball move, aiming to get the lefty-on-lefty matchup with Meadows. But given the potential for history, the fans let him hear it.
Hinch said he understood the call.
“Booney’s obligation is to his own team and their chances of winning,” Hinch said. “He had the matchup behind Miggy that he wanted, so you could see it coming. I know our fans responded accordingly, but I totally get it.
“I’m glad Austin came up, extended our lead and we won the game, which Miggy was happiest with.”
Cabrera joked in the clubhouse postgame that “my on-base percentage goes up,” and pointed to the scoreboard shortly after the walk, signaling fans that the extension of the Tigers’ lead was what he was thinking about in the moment.
“If we win, I’m happy,” Cabrera said. “This is baseball, you know. There’s a lefty behind me and they choose to walk me intentionally, that’s part of the game. I went 0-for-3, but we had a chance to win, so that’s beautiful.”
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Grossman breaks out
Grossman is one of several Tigers who had been scuffling to start the season, entering Thursday 4-for-28 with just two RBIs.
He nearly matched that on Thursday, reaching base in all four plate appearances — he went 3-for-3 with an RBI double (his first extra-base hit of the season), two singles and a walk..
“Felt good to get a win, especially against the Yankees,” Grossman said. “Yeah, I got some hits today, but tomorrow is a new day so I’ll try to get some hits tomorrow but, most importantly, get on base for my teammates. That’s my goal every time at the plate.”
Grossman is far from the only Tiger struggling at the plate; Detroit has scored three runs or fewer in nine of its 12 games this season.
After going four consecutive games without a hit and then missing a handful more with a groin injury, Grossman has hits in four consecutive games.
“What are we, 12 games in and it’s been 30 degrees,” Grossman said. “There’s a lot of season left and a lot of at bats left.
“(I’ve had) quality at bats just haven’t gotten hits; today, I got some hits, so now we’re talking about it.”