Cardinals looking to Lyons to get series vs. Tigers back on track
Like the opening lyrics to The Doors' "Break on Through," Miguel Cabrera may finally be to the other side.
Having solved his night-time hitting woes, Cabrera looks to resume destroying pitchers during the day and perhaps hit a milestone home run Saturday when the Tigers continue their series with the St. Louis Cardinals.
The two-time American League MVP has enjoyed an overall solid start to the season and appears to be on course to putting up numbers closer to his Triple Crown season of 2012 and strong follow-up in 2013 that led to his MVP honors after struggling -- by his standards -- last year.
Cabrera has gone 6 for 10 with three homers in his past two games, but his 3-for-5 effort in Friday night's 10-4 victory to open this series was noteworthy for two reasons. It was his 399th homer, which tied him with Andres Galarraga for the most by a Venezuelan-born player, and it boosted his average 39 points to .197 (12 for 61) in 18 games under the lights.
"He's one of the best, there's nothing else you can say about Galarraga," Cabrera said. "He was a big-time hitter."
During the day, Cabrera has been scorching hot for the Tigers (22-14), who have totaled 23 runs and 37 hits in winning their last two games. He enters this contest hitting .471 with eight homers, 25 RBIs and a 1.455 OPS in 18 day games. The slugger also is locked in on the road, batting .415 with six homers, 17 RBIs, a 1.238 OPS and six three-hit games or better in 17 starts.
Cabrera has never faced Cardinals scheduled starter Tyler Lyons (0-0, 4.82 ERA), who is making his third start while fellow left-handers Marco Gonzales and Jaime Garcia are still rehabbing injuries. Lyons was serviceable at Pittsburgh on Sunday, when he gave up three runs and five hits in five innings before leaving without a decision in a 4-3 defeat.
Lyons must also deal with Tigers leadoff hitter Anthony Gose, who's 7 for 11 with two triples in the last two games and 19 for 43 in his last 10 to raise his average 66 points to .357.
The pair could help David Price (3-1, 3.30) as he tries to get back on track with two extra days of rest. The left-hander was reached for five runs and a career-high 13 hits in 6 1/3 innings before the Tigers rallied for a 6-5 walkoff win over Kansas City on May 8. Price, who was denied a third straight winning start, left the game after he tweaked his hamstring stepping on a bat while running to back up his catcher on a relay.
"It pulled on my hamstring, and when you feel something in your body that you've never felt before, you are going to be concerned," he said.
While Price is 9-10 in 22 lifetime interleague starts, he's 6-4 in 11 road starts versus NL teams and facing St. Louis for the first time.
Though the Cardinals still have the majors' best record at 24-11, they have dropped four of six. Some of those struggles can be attributed to a heavily worked bullpen, which was roughed up for season worsts of eight runs and 10 hits Friday, giving it a 5.59 ERA and .342 opponent batting average in that span.
St. Louis' relievers had a 1.61 ERA in the first 29 games, limiting opponents to a .208 average.
"It was a little bit of an oddity for us, with our bullpen not being able to do what they've been doing," manager Mike Matheny said.
