Detroit Tigers' Miguel Cabrera, Robbie Grossman team up for 5-1 win vs. Pittsburgh Pirates

PITTSBURGH — Miguel Cabrera is officially chasing 3,000 career hits in 2021.

The Detroit Tigers' first baseman posted his second consecutive performance of three or more hits and chipped in three RBIs in Wednesday's 5-1 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park. After dropping the first two contests in the three-game series, the Tigers (66-75) avoided getting swept by the third-worst team in baseball. 

Cabrera is 29 hits away from the esteemed 3,000-hit club with 21 games remaining this season. Still, the 38-year-old is expected to get at least a few games off to rest his body. He would be the 33rd player with No. 3,000.

"We're going to be very smart about it," Tigers manager AJ Hinch said about using Cabrera at first base and designated hitter down the stretch. "You'll see him at DH on Friday as he continues this hit parade, hopefully, and we'll mix him in at first base when we can.

"I think we need to enjoy what we're seeing while we're seeing it and have him continue to finish strong this season, get as many hits as he can and help us win as many games as we can."

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Cabrera became the 28th player in MLB history to reach 500 home runs. He accomplished the feat Aug. 22 against the Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Centre. He has since added two long balls for No. 502 and last homered Sept. 1 at Comerica Park.

In the first inning, Cabrera doubled — the 594th of his 19-year career — to right off Pirates starter Mitch Keller. His two-out drive to the wall scored Robbie Grossman (single) from first base and gave the Tigers a 1-0 lead. 

"He amazes me every single day," Grossman said. "Other guys on other teams talk about how great he is. It's an honor to play with a guy that's that well regarded."

With six more doubles, he will be the 18th player in MLB history to record 600 doubles. If Cabrera racks up 500 home runs, 3,000 hits and 600 doubles, he will be one of three players to reach all three historic milestones, along with Hank Aaron and Albert Pujols.

Cabrera added RBI singles in the third and fifth innings for a 3-1 lead. He singled with two outs in the seventh for his fourth and final hit of the night. Over his past two games, Cabrera is 7-for-8 (.875) with two doubles and four RBIs.

He has hit safely in seven consecutive plate appearances, the longest streak of his career.

"It's not every day you get to play with a Hall of Famer," Grossman said. "I even joked with him earlier. I said, 'You got your Hall of Fame speech ready?' We were watching the Derek Jeter (Hall of Fame induction speech). I don't take any day for granted getting a chance to play with him."

Grossman helps Miggy

Hitting directly ahead of Cabrera in the lineup, Grossman put together one of his strongest games of the season. He finished 4-for-5 with a home run, RBI and strikeout, often helping set the table for Cabrera's RBI opportunities.

It marked Grossman's fourth four-hit game of his nine-year career.

"The first inning at-bat is a really big catalyst for the night," Hinch said. "Everybody knows we have not had a good experience here in Pittsburgh from the health standpoint and the outcome of the game standpoint.

"When Robbie comes up with two outs and nobody on, and finds a way to get on base, and then Miggy hits the double and we score a run, that inning starts with Robbie being able to get on base. ... His continual quality of at-bat has been impressive. I'm very proud of how he's going about it."

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In the seventh inning, Grossman got the job done by himself.

Facing reliever Cody Ponce, Grossman clobbered a cutter 384 feet down the right-field line. The ball — traveling with a 103.4 mph exit velocity — barley stayed fair but was enough for a solo home run. He now has 22 home runs this season.

The long ball from Grossman put the Tigers ahead 5-1.

Grossman and Cabrera combined for eight hits in nine at-bats in Wednesday's win. (The Tigers scored their fourth run in the fifth on Jeimer Candelario's RBI single to score Grossman.)

"He makes it look so easy, even his routine in the cage," Grossman said. "I watch every day and try to see what he does. He puts on a clinic in his batting practice. It's something that I'll be telling my kids about one day and people will ask me about. It's just an honor to play with him."

Manning, then bullpen

Making his 14th start, right-hander Matt Manning couldn't pitch beyond the third inning.

On the final play of the third, Colin Moran hit a line drive off his left knee. Although Manning walked off the field on his own power, the Tigers pulled him with a left knee contusion. After throwing 17 pitches in the first inning and 23 in the second, the 23-year-old rookie settled in with 12 pitches in a strong third frame.

Of Manning's 52 pitches, 35 went for strikes.

"It's a quick night for him," Hinch said. "I'm glad he's OK. But he was getting a little better and a little better as he was going. I'm disappointed for him that he got smoked and had to come out of the game, but I was happy with how he threw it up to that point."

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Manning allowed one run on four hits — without a walk — and four strikeouts over three innings. He logged four swings and misses with one four-seam fastball, two sliders and one two-seam fastball, along with generating four called strikes with his curveball.

Drew Hutchison (two innings), Derek Holland (one inning), Jose Urena (one inning), Michael Fulmer (one inning) and Gregory Soto (one inning) kept the Pirates from scoring the rest of the way. 

"We needed everybody to do their part to get us out of here with a win," Hinch said. "Our guys did that."

Evan Petzold is a sports reporter at the Detroit Free Press. Contact him at epetzold@freepress.com or follow him on Twitter @EvanPetzold. Read more on the Detroit Tigers and sign up for our Tigers newsletter.