Miguel Cabrera hits three home runs, but the Tigers still lose

Detroit Tigers’ Miguel Cabrera rounds the bases after hitting a two-run home run off of Oakland Athletics starter Ben Sheets in the first inning of a baseball game Friday, May 28, 2010 in Detroit. (AP Photo/Duane Burleson)

Duane Burleson

Miguel Cabrera had hit two home runs in a game 15 times in his career, but he didn’t have a three-homer game to his credit until Friday’s loss 5-4 loss to the Athletics. Cabrera drove in all four Tigers’ runs, including a ninth-inning solo shot off closer Andrew Bailey to cut things close.

According to Tom Gage of the Detroit News, Cabrera is the first Tiger to home three times in a game since “Da Meet Hook” Dmitri Young did it in April of 2005.

Ben Sheets, who got the win after allowing three runs over seven innings, told MLB.com that he got another small consolation out of Cabrera’s offensive onslaught:

“One guy freakin’ did a lot of damage,” Sheets said of Cabrera. “That’s why he’s special. I don’t know what you can do with him, obviously. I got him out once.”

With Cabrera’s impressive start, that’s something to be proud of. The 27-year-old first baseman is batting .341/.421/.653 with 13 homers, 44 RBI and a 1.074 OPS over his first 173 at-bats.