Field Level Media
Aug 24, 2021
Miguel Cabrera hit his 501st career homer Tuesday as the visiting Detroit Tigers edged the St. Louis Cardinals 4-3.
The Cardinals lost for the fifth time in their last seven games -- and they may have lost starting pitcher Jack Flaherty as well.
Flaherty (9-2) lasted just two-plus innings before departing due to right shoulder soreness. He allowed four runs on four hits and three walks while striking out one.
Daniel Ponce de Leon, Andrew Miller, Kwang Hyun Kim, T.J. McFarland and Luis Garcia combined to hold the Tigers scoreless the rest of the way.
Casey Mize (7-6) threw five shutout innings for the Tigers, who won for the third time in four games. Mize allowed three hits and two walks while striking out two to earn his first victory since July 29.
Michael Fulmer got the final four outs to record his eighth save.
Flaherty lost control in the second inning as the Tigers took a 2-0 lead. Jeimer Candelario drew a one-out walk, Harold Castro hit a single and Grayson Greiner walked to load the bases.
Derek Hill lined an RBI single up the middle, and then Mize walked to force home another run. It was Mize's first career RBI.
Flaherty finally settled down to get Akil Baddoo to ground into a forceout at the plate and Jonathan Schoop to ground into a forceout at second base.
Flaherty's struggles worsened in the third inning when he allowed back-to-back homers to Robbie Grossman and Cabrera. That led to a medical visit on the mound and a pitching change.
The Cardinals finally broke through at the expense of reliever Erasmo Ramirez in the eighth inning. Harrison Bader hit a leadoff triple, Edmundo Sosa walked and Tommy Edman hit a run-scoring groundout.
One out later, Ramirez hit Dylan Carlson with a pitch and was replaced by Fulmer. Nolan Arenado greeted the new pitcher with a two-run double that cut the deficit to 4-3, but Fulmer struck out Yadier Molina to end the inning.
Molina, who earlier in the day agreed to return to the Cardinals in 2022 for his 19th season, went 1-for-4.
--Field Level Media