Miguel Cabrera Powers Tigers over Houston in 17-2 Rout; Jose Fernandez One-Hits Phillies over Seven in Marlins' Victory

Players of the Day for Saturday, May 4, 2013

American League

The Detroit Tigers continued to hold first place in the AL Central, though only by 1/2 game over the Royals, who kept pace with a 2-0, complete-game shutout by Jeremy Guthrie (4-0).

Cabrera 4-4, 2HR 6RBI

Detroit went the offensive route, banging out 21 hits and scoring in every inning except the third, to pummel the Astros, 17-2.

Seven of the nine regulars in the Detroit lineup had two or more hits, including Torii Hunter and Miguel Cabrera, each with four.

Cabrera had his best day at the plate this season, going 4-for-4 with a pair of homers (his fifth and sixth) and two singles, driving in six of the Tigers' runs, scoring three times. Cabrera got things started with an RBI single in the first, then popped a two-run homer in the second, a bases-loaded walk in the third, a solo homer in the fourth and another RBI single in the seventh inning.

4-0 Max Scherzer cruised to the win, allowing three hits and a run in eight innings with eight Ks.

Cabrera, who took home the AL MVP award last season while posting a triple crown, leads the league in batting (.390) and RBI, with 36. His six homers are three off the pace of four players - Edwin Encarnacion, Michael Morse, Mark Reynolds and Chris Davis.

Winners of three straight, the Tigers go for the four-game sweep of the 8-23 Astros, Sunday at 4:10 pm EDT.

As the Tigers and Royals continue to contend for the division lead, they are being closely followed by the Indians, winners of six straight, just three games out.

National League

Fernandez: 7IP, 1H, 0ER

There haven't been many South Beach smiles for the 9-22 Marlins, but Saturday's seven-inning, one-hit performance by rookie hurler Jose Fernandez provided some promise for the future.

The Marlins took the game, 2-0, as Fernandez stymied the Phillies throughout, fanning nine while surrendering one walk for his first win as a major leaguer against two losses.

The only hit off the rookie was by Freddy Galvis, a one-out single in the first inning. Fernandez then mowed down the next 20 batters in order, before surrendering a walk to Galvis to lead off the seventh before striking out the next three batters - Chase Utley, Ryan Howard and Delmon Young - all swinging.

Relievers Mike Dunn and Steve Cishek each turning in perfect innings in the eighth and ninth, Cishek earning his fourth save of the season.

The win was the Marlins' first in three games of their four-game series in Philadelphia. They'll attempt to get a split when the series concludes at 2:35 pm EDT Sunday.