TAMPA BAY, Fla. (Michigan News Source)- Miguel Cabrera trotted onto Tropicana Field in his final Opening Day as a professional in his 20th year of playing in his 2,700th career game. The day didn’t go the Tigers’ way, though, as Tampa Bay shutout Detroit, 4-0.
“It’s his 20th Opening Day. That alone is an accomplishment that really none of us will probably feel the way he has,” says Detroit manager A.J. HInch.
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Detroit had six hits in which Cabrera recorded a double which was his 3,089th hit which is now 23rd all-time tying Ichiro Suzuki. Austin Meadows led the team with three hits in four appearances at the plate.
Eduardo Rodriguez went 5.1 innings recording five strikeouts but received the loss with three earned runs.
In the first three innings, Detroit left three runners on as Tampa Bay scored in the bottom of the third on a home run. Tampa Bay retired six straight Tigers in the fifth and sixth and then Rodriguez was then relieved in the bottom of the sixth inning as two more runs came in for a 3-0 lead.
Cabrera’s double came in the seventh inning and then what looked like what would be a double to right field, Tampa Bay made an exceptional play to end the inning. The grab in right field stopped any momentum that would have brought in Detroit’s first run. Tampa Bay added one more run on a home run in the eighth to make it, 4-0.
The opening day loss for Detroit is their first since 1989 and only the sixth since 1901. The teams will have Friday off and then resume the three-game series on Saturday.
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