Cabrera delivers in Tigers' win
3/13/2011SARASOTA, Fla. — Miguel Cabrera is rounding into form after a rocky start this spring — on and off the field.
Cabrera had three hits and two RBIs and rookie Adam Wilk pitched three scoreless innings to help the Tigers beat the Orioles 9-1.
The 27-year-old Cabrera was arrested Feb. 16 on suspicion of driving under the influence and resisting an officer without violence, both misdemeanors. He has waived arraignment and submitted a written plea of not guilty.
He started the spring with a 4-for-23 slide and is now batting .303. He drove in the Tigers' first run off Brian Matusz in the first inning, singled and stole second in the fifth, and drove in another run with an opposite-field broken-bat single in the sixth.
"I'm starting to swing good. I'm concentrating on my swing," Cabrera said. "I'm working toward the season and the whole year."
His bat cracked on his hit in the sixth, with the ball getting by Baltimore first baseman Josh Bell.
"Lucky hit. Hopefully in the season, I'll have a lot like that," Cabrera said.
Casper Wells had four hits and three RBIs for the Tigers' split-squad, and Wilk faced the minimum nine batters, allowing one hit. He's thrown nine scoreless innings this spring.
Against the Orioles, rookie Charlie Furbush allowed a run and two hits in three innings, striking out five.
"Those kids did a good job. It's still spring training. I'm not getting carried away — by any means," Detroit manager Jim Leyland said.
Leyland said Cabrera is "in the process of getting himself into baseball shape."
"His attitude is great — which it always is," Leyland said.
Baltimore manager Buck Showalter didn't like what he saw from Matusz.
"I thought he was up today. He left a lot of pitches up in the strike zone," Showalter said.
"He's a lot better than that — and he will be."