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.
