DETROIT (AP) – Miguel Cabrera stood at the plate and watched one last pitch sail by: strike three to end Detroit’s season.
The Triple Crown winner had given the Tigers a glimmer of hope with a two-run homer in the third inning, but it wasn’t enough. In this series, nothing Detroit did at the plate was enough.
Cabrera struck out looking in the 10th inning Sunday night for the final out in the Tigers’ 4-3 loss to San Francisco in Game 4 of the World Series. The Giants completed a four-game sweep for their second championship in three years, bringing a quiet end to Cabrera’s marvelous season and Detroit’s latest attempt to win its first title since 1984.
After being shut out in Games 2 and 3 and falling behind early in the finale, the Tigers at least mounted one last comeback. Cabrera’s wind-blown, two-run drive put Detroit up 2-1 for its first lead of the series. When Buster Posey gave the Giants a 3-2 lead with a sixth-inning homer, Detroit tied it immediately in the bottom half on a solo shot by Delmon Young.
But that was it.
The Tigers wouldn’t score again, and the vaunted middle of their batting order wasn’t heard from. After a leadoff walk in the eighth, Cabrera, Prince Fielder and Young struck out in succession, and there was a sense that one more San Francisco run would win it.
Marco Scutaro delivered it, singling home the tiebreaking run in the 10th.
The last pitch to Cabrera looked hittable – but Detroit looked out of synch offensively from the start in this series. After sweeping the New York Yankees in the AL championship series, never trailing in their four games. The Tigers didn’t hold a lead against San Francisco until Cabrera homered.
Fielder, the $214 million acquisition who was brought in to give the Tigers a better shot at that elusive championship, went 1 for 14 in the World Series. Detroit hit .159 as a team.
Tigers starter Max Scherzer gave up three runs and seven hits in 6 1-3 innings, struck out eight and walked none. Relievers Drew Smyly, Octavio Dotel and Phil Coke held the Giants off until the 10th, but Detroit could never score the additional run needed to win it before extra innings.