DETROIT — The magic number is down to one.
Miguel Cabrera singled in his first three at-bats Wednesday during the Tigers’ 5-3 loss to the Yankees — Nos. 2,997, 2,998 and 2,999 of his illustrious career.
They were all very different swings, too, and not the power shots we’ve become accustomed to from Cabrera over the years.
The first was an infield single against Yankees starter Luis Severino. Exit velocity — 59.2 mph.
He rolled over a two-strike pitch and a charging third baseman D.J. LeMahieu had no play.
The second, also against Severino, was a vintage Cabrera at-bat. He fell behind in the count, battled and worked the count full and then lined a single back up the middle. Exit velocity — 89.5 mph.
The third, off reliever Chad Green, was a broken-bat liner through the hole between third and short. Exit velocity — 68.3.
He came to bat in the bottom of the eighth. But with the announced crowd of 17,268 standing, and MLB Network breaking in live, Yankees reliever Clay Holmes struck him out swinging.
Cabrera will come to the ballpark on Thursday needing one more hit to become the 33rd member of the 3,000-hit club and the seventh player ever to achieve 3,000 hits and 500 home runs.
His first two hits Wednesday came in the two rallies the Tigers mustered against Severino in his five innings of work, rallies that produced just one run.
Cabrera’s infield hit in the second came on the heels of a lead-off double by Jeimer Candelario. But Cabrera got a little overzealous on the bases. Victor Reyes singled him Candelario and Cabrera tried to go first to third.
Right-fielder Giancarlo Stanton threw a seed to third and got the sliding Cabrera by a step. Reyes was then caught stealing at second and the rally fizzled.
The Tigers loaded the bases against Severino with one out on the fourth – singles by Cabrera and Reyes and a walk to Spencer Torkelson. Harold Castro, in a gritty nine-pitch at-bat, lined out
The Yankees built a 3-1 lead against Tigers lefty Eduardo Rodriguez, the third coming on a long, solo home run to right field by Anthony Rizzo.
It was Rodriguez’s best outing as a Tiger to date. He allowed the three runs over six innings with five strikeouts.
The Tigers tied it in the sixth. Candelario and Cabrera singled and with two outs, Castro laced a two-run double to the gap in left-center, scoring Cabrera from first.
The Tigers never got over the hump, though. The Yankees scored an unearned run against reliever Drew Hutchison in the top of the seventh. After Hutchison walked Josh Donaldson and made an errant throw to second base on a bunt play, Isiah Kiner-Falefa, who doubled and scored in the second inning, singled in the go-ahead run.
