Cabrera, Boesch Power Tigers Past Yankees; Garcia Tosses First Shutout of Season

Players of the Day for Sunday, April 3, 2011

American League

Brennan Boesch

Miguel Cabrera

Avoiding a sweep in their season-opening series with the Yankees, the Detroit Tigers pounded out 14 hits in a 10-7 win at Yankee Stadium.

Obviously enjoying the surroundings were the two power hitters in the Tiger batting order, #3 hitter Brennan Boesch and behind him Miguel Cabrera.

Boesch went 4-for-4 with a home run, three singles, a sac flay, four runs and four RBI. Cabrera had a pair of homers and a single in five at-bats, also drove in four runs and scored twice. The two accounted for half of the Tigers' hits and 7 of their 10 RBI.

Cabrera is hitting a brisk .455, though he's overshadowed by Boesch's ridiculous .625 average.

National League

Jaime Garcia

Opening weekend in the majors was witness to a good deal of slugging, but pitching came at quite the premium. There was no lack of starters being shelled and relievers took their lumps as well.

One pitcher who came through unscathed was St. Louis' Jaime Garcia, who threw the first complete game shutout of the season in a 2-0 win over San Diego.

After scoring a 13-8 season as a rookie with the Cards, Garcia is off to a spectacular start, allowing just four hits - all singles - and two walks in his 2011 debut, fanning nine Padres along the way.

Garcia struck out the side in the second and induced 12 outs on ground balls. With Adam Wainwright gone for the season, the Cardinals are encouraged to see Garcia step up early in the season. The Cardinals won their first game of 2011 after dropping two straight at home to the Padres.