LEADING OFF: Miggy still after 3,000, Sasaki’s perfect roll

Apr 22, 2022, 6:20 AM | Updated: 9:14 pm

Detroit Tigers' Miguel Cabrera gestures to the crowd in the eighth inning of a baseball game against the New York Yankees in Detroit, Thursday, April 21, 2022. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)

(AP Photo/Paul Sancya)

A look at what’s happening around baseball Saturday:

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CABRERA REIGNS

Miguel Cabrera should get to swing for his 3,000th career hit after his pursuit was delayed a day by a rainout.

The Tigers are set for a day-night doubleheader against Colorado at Comerica Park. The teams were washed out Friday.

Cabrera got to 2,999 hits on Wednesday night, then struck out in his final at-bat of the game. The 39-year-old went 0 for 3 with an intentional walk on Thursday.

Antonio Senzatela (0-1, 2.16 ERA) is ready to pitch the first game of the twinbill for Colorado. The Rockies right-hander and Cabrera are both from Venezuela.

“He’s going to go down as one of the best hitters of all time,” Hall of Famer and former Tigers shortstop Alan Trammell said Friday.

“He realizes that it’s getting toward the end, but he still has something left in the tank. When it’s all said and done this year, I think he’s going to have a heck of a year,” he said.

JAPANESE PERFECTION

The baseball world will be watching this weekend to see whether Roki Sasaki can do it again.

The 20-year-old Japanese pitcher with the 100 mph fastball and devastating splitter has thrown 17 straight perfect innings. He’ll start Sunday for the Chiba Lotte Marines against the Orix Buffaloes in Osaka.

Sasaki pitched a perfect game against Orix on April 10, the first in Japan in 28 years. He followed up with eight more perfect innings on April 17 before he was pulled by manager Tadahito Iguchi after 102 pitches. Sasaki struck out a combined 33 in those games.

Sasaki grew up in the northeastern Japanese prefecture of Iwate. His father was killed in the 2011 earthquake, tsunami and subsequent meltdown on three nuclear reactors that devastated that part of the country.

DOUBLE TROUBLE

White Sox shortstop Tim Anderson is struggling in the field and might soon be forced off of it.

Anderson has six errors over his past three games, including a throwing error in the eighth inning Friday during a play that let Minnesota score the go-ahead run.

The defensive woes come as Anderson is appealing his second suspension this season after Major League Baseball banned him for one game after he gave fans the middle finger.

Anderson had three errors in the first two innings of Chicago’s 11-1 loss Wednesday in the opener of a doubleheader. The frustrated 28-year-old made the gesture while out in the field. Anderson has appealed the ban and will remain with the club until that’s resolved.

“I have to apologize for my actions,” Anderson said. “There are a lot of people who really look up to me. I take full accountability of what I did. But it’s something that I have to learn from and grow from.”

Anderson also missed the firt two games of the season serving a two-game suspension for making contact with umpire Tim Timmons during the ninth inning of a game on Sept. 27. Anderson successfully appealed that suspension down from three games.

GIANT PAIN

San Francisco’s injured list is getting crowded after right-hander Anthony DeSclafani and outfielder Steven Duggar hit the shelf Friday.

DeSclafani went on the 10-day IL with right ankle inflammation a day after allowing five runs in five innings during a loss to the Mets. Manager Gabe Kapler says DeSclafani will get an MRI on Monday.

Duggar was added to the 60-day IL with a left oblique strain. He was pulled from Thursday’s loss in the second inning.

The pair joins starter Alex Cobb and hitters Evan Longoria, LaMonte Wade Jr. and Tommy La Stella on the IL.

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