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A sometimes-irreverent look at Detroit's Boys of Summer, the Tigers, as they try to return to the top of the American League Central.

Tuesday, April 8, 2014

Miggy back to cleanup, third base in lineup vs. Dodgers


The Tigers lineup had a different feel on Tuesday, not just because Max Scherzer was in it, under National League rules in effect for this interleague series.
Manager Brad Ausmus was able to keep Victor Martinez's bat in the lineup, not only by subbing the designated hitter back in behind the plate — as he'll likely do at least once on this five-game trip — but at first base, shifting Miguel Cabrera back to the third base position he'd manned for the last two seasons.
Not only that, but Cabrera is back in the cleanup role for the Tigers, a spot that he hadn't manned since Oct. 10, 2011, in Game 2 of the American League Championship Series. Shortly after Magglio Ordonez was hurt in Game 1 of that series, then-manager Jim Leyland made the decision to slide Cabrera forward a slot to No. 3, and he stayed there throughout the duration of Prince Fielder's time in Detroit, too. He'd hit in the No. 3 spot each game so far this season.
That allowed Rajai Davis to lead off — a spot he started 20 times in with the Blue Jays last year — Ian Kinsler to hit second, and Torii Hunter third. Hunter hit third for the Tigers three times last year when Cabrera missed games due to injury.

DETROIT TIGERS (4-1)
Rajai Davis, LF
Ian Kinsler, 2B,
Torii Hunter, RF
Miguel Cabrera, 3B
Victor Martinez, 1B
Austin Jackson, CF
Alex Avila, C
Andrew Romine, SS
Max Scherzer, P

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