CINCINNATI (AP) - Miguel Cabrera passed two superstars with a homer Saturday night, and JaCoby Jones hit a two-run shot in the ninth off Raisel Iglesias, rallying the Detroit Tigers to a 6-4 victory over the Cincinnati Reds.
After failing to bunt with Austin Romine on first base, Jones snapped a 4-4 tie with his homer into the Reds’ bullpen in center field off Raisel Iglesias (0-1), who set a Reds record for a reliever with 12 losses last year.
“I said in the dugout, ‘(The heck with) bunting,’” Jones said. “’We’re here. Let me hit.’”
Cabrera salvaged his four-strikeout day with a seventh-inning, two-run home run that lifted Detroit to a brief 4-3 lead and broke a tie with Adrian Beltre for 30th place on the career home run list.
Cabrera now has 478. Hall-of-Famer Lou Gehrig and Fred McGriff are tied for 28th with 493 each.
“We got the ball, I think,” Detroit manager Ron Gardenhire said. “The numbers show he played a long time. He’s one of the greatest players of all time. He certainly is one of the greatest of my generation. He’s still that guy. He does spectacular.”
The two RBIs boosted Cabrera past Hall-of-Famer Cal Ripken Jr. and into 25th place on the career RBI list with 1,696. He needs three to tie another Hall-of-Fame inductee, Jim Thome.
Reds starter Luis Castillo reached double figures in strikeouts for the 10th time in his four-year career, fanning 11, including Cabrera swinging all three times in three appearances. The 2019 All-Star allowed six hits and one run with one walk in six innings.
“I wasn’t trying to strike him out but I’m happy to strike Cabrera out three times,” Castillo said. “He is one of the best hitters in the big leagues.”
All three runs allowed by Detroit starter Iván Nova came on home runs, Joey Votto’s second in two days in the first inning and Freddy Galvis’ two-run shot in the second. Nova allowed just one other hit in five innings.
Buck Farmer (1-0) pitched a scoreless eighth to get the win. Joe Jiménez gave up a walk in the ninth while getting his first save.
SLOW START
Reds 3B Eugenio Suarez, who hit 49 home runs last season, is 0-for-8 to start 2020.
OWNERSHIP
Galvis now is 10-for-18 (.556) with two home runs in his career against Nova.
NEW ARM
The Tigers announced before Saturday’s that they’d claimed RHP Carson Fulmer off waivers from the White Sox. Fulmer, Chicago’s No. 1 pick and the eighth over selection in the June 2015 draft is 6-9 in 15 career starts and 29 relief appearances. RHP David McKay was optioned after Saturday’s game.
TRAINING ROOM
Tigers: Right fielder Cameron Maybin left the game after seven innings with cramps in both calves.
Reds: The Reds placed IF Matt Davidson on the 10-day injured list after he tested positive for COVID-19 and catcher Tucker Barnhart on the three-day paternity list. OF Aristides Aquino and RHP Tejay Antone were recalled.
UP NEXT
Tigers: RHP Spencer Turnbull (3-17 in 2019) makes his first career start against the Reds.
Reds: RHP Trevor Bauer (combined 11-13 in 2019 with Cleveland and Cincinnati) makes his 20th career start against Detroit. He is 11-9 in his career against the Tigers.
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