LEADING OFF: Miggy swings for 500 at home, Flaherty off IL
Aug 12, 2021, 1:14 PM | Updated: Aug 13, 2021, 1:23 am
A look at what’s happening around the majors today:
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MILESTONE MAN
Miguel Cabrera is back home in Detroit, one home run shy of 500, when the Tigers face Cleveland right-hander Zach Plesac (6-4).
Cabrera sat out the last game of Detroit’s road trip Thursday, and the Tigers did fine without him, beating Baltimore 6-4 to complete a three-game sweep.
“I’m hoping he proves us right — to hit it at home in front of our fans, and hit it in a win,” manager A.J. Hinch said before the game.
Cabrera hit homer No. 499 on Wednesday night, and afterward Hinch said the 38-year-old slugger would play Thursday as well. But Hinch changed course and left Cabrera out of the lineup, citing the heat and the fact that rain delays had made for some long nights at the ballpark earlier in the series.
The temperature at game time Thursday was 97 degrees.
Cabrera is hitting .255 with 12 home runs and 51 RBIs this season.
JACK IS BACK
St. Louis Cardinals ace Jack Flaherty (8-1, 2.90 ERA) returns from the 60-day injured list to start the opener of a three-game series at Kansas City. Flaherty has been out since May 31 with an oblique injury.
Mike Minor (8-10, 5.39) pitches for the Royals.
EAST MEETS WEST
After winning two of three in Philadelphia, the Los Angeles Dodgers visit another NL East contender when they open a three-game series at Citi Field against Pete Alonso and the New York Mets.
Looking to become the first 14-game winner in the majors, Julio Urias (13-3, 3.41 ERA) starts for the Dodgers against rookie Tylor Megill (1-2, 3.20).
PADRES IN PAIN
San Diego hopes for good news on Yu Darvish after the All-Star pitcher left Thursday night’s outing early with lower back tightness, becoming the latest Padres player to get hurt.
Darvish (7-7) exited in the third inning of a 12-3 loss to Arizona. The right-hander didn’t look comfortable on the mound and was pulled after throwing a ball in the dirt to Josh VanMeter.
San Diego manager Jayce Tingler wouldn’t speculate about whether Darvish will make his next scheduled start and said the team will see how he responds to treatment.
Third in the NL West, the Padres hold the league’s second wild-card spot. But they already have several important players on the injured list, including star shortstop Fernando Tatis Jr., infielder Jurickson Profar and pitchers Drew Pomeranz, Dinelson Lamet and Chris Paddack.
“We don’t have time to feel sorry for ourselves or anything like that,” Tingler said. “This is what we’ve got. This is baseball. Everyone deals with some type of adversity. We’ve got to continue to fight and battle.”
MOUND MATCHUP
Cincinnati right-hander Tyler Mahle (9-3, 3.78 ERA) faces Zack Wheeler (10-6, 2.42) and the Phillies in the opener of a three-game series between NL playoff contenders. Wheeler pitched a two-hitter and struck out 11 in a 3-0 victory Sunday over the New York Mets, his former team.
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