DETROIT — Miguel Cabrera made an
impressive swing look effortless.
Cabrera drove an outside pitch over
the right-center fence in the eighth inning for a go-ahead, three-run
homer that sent the Detroit Tigers to a 4-3 victory over the skidding
Pittsburgh Pirates on Sunday.
"As long as you watch baseball, you
won't see many guys that hit the ball to opposite field like that,"
Tigers manager Jim Leyland said. "People get used to it around here. But
trust me, in the history of the game, there's not many guys that take
it out to opposite field like it's nothing."
Leyland managed one of those players,
Barry Bonds, for the first seven years of his career. Since Bonds left
the Pirates in 1992 to sign with San Francisco, they haven't had a
winning record.
Pittsburgh, an NL-worst 23-40, has
lost a season-high eight straight to push the franchise closer to
extending its run of futility. The Pirates have had 17 straight losing
seasons, the longest streak in Major League Baseball, the NFL, NBA and
NHL.
They looked as though they might
finally end their skid until Carlos Guillen, who hit a leadoff home run
in the 10th inning to give Detroit a 4-3 win Saturday night, singled as a
pinch-hitter to open the eighth and chase starter Jeff Karstens.
Guillen and Johnny Damon, who drew a
two-out walk against reliever Javier Lopez, were on base when Cabrera
became the first major league hitter to reach 19 homers and 56 RBIs this
season.
"Tough game," Pirates manager John
Russell said.
Pittsburgh has had a lot of those.
Detroit, meanwhile, got another win
at home, where its 20-10 record has helped offset a 13-19 mark on the
road to leave the Tigers 2 1/2 games behind AL Central-leading
Minnesota.
Armando Galarraga gave up two runs in
his first home start since his near-perfect game.
"It was an unbelievable experience
here that night, but it is important that I keep it in the past," he
said.
Brad Thomas (4-0) replaced Galarraga
and got the final out in the eighth inning for the win. Jose Valverde
closed it for his 13th save, but gave up a run to end his scoreless
streak at 25 appearances.
Garrett Jones hit a solo homer in the
second inning and an RBI double in the fourth to put Pittsburgh ahead
2-0.
Alex Avila hit a solo shot to center
in the seventh to pull the Tigers within a run. Cabrera put them ahead
on a homer off Octavio Dotel the next inning, handing Lopez (1-1) the
loss.
"Big-time players want to be up there
in big situations," Leyland said. "That's why they're big-time
players."
Cabrera simply shrugged when told
Leyland said that.
"Everyone wants to be in that
situation," he said. "I'm just doing my job."
Russell is having a hard time doing
his, leading a team that is struggling to score runs and is getting
spotty pitching.
Karstens was charged with two runs on
six hits and a walk in seven-plus innings, his longest start this
season.
"Karstens did a great job, and he
turned it over to the bullpen and they couldn't finish it off," Russell
said. "That doesn't change what he did, a great start when we really
needed one."
The Pirates are averaging just 2 1/2
runs per game during their losing streak.
Jones has done his part. He hit his
second homer in two days — and 10th this season. He also had two hits
for the third straight game and drove in two runs in the series finale.
"When you are in a slump like this,
everything you hit hard goes right at someone," Jones said. "That's what
happened to everyone but me."
NOTES: Detroit rookie OF Austin
Jackson left after a half-inning because of back spasms and is day to
day. …Magglio Ordonez (strained oblique) missed his sixth straight
game, but said he will play Tuesday when Detroit hosts the Washington
Nationals. …Pirates RHP Charlie Morton (shoulder) is scheduled to
make a rehab start with Triple-A Indianapolis. …Pirates OF Jose
Tabata has a hit in each of his four career games. …Pittsburgh was
swept by Detroit for the first time in eight matchups.