It wasn’t the popular move, but it was the right one strategically.
With two outs and runners on second and third, and the Yankees trying to keep their deficit at 1-0, Yankees manager Aaron Boone decided to intentionally walk Miguel Cabrera – who was 0-for-3 on the day in his quest for his 3,000th hit – to load ‘em up for Austin Meadows.
Lefty Lucas Luetge was on the mound, and thanks to the three-batter rule, he had to face Cabrera and then Meadows, so the Yankees went for the strategy of the lefty-lefty matchup with a force everywhere.
"Didn't you see me try to walk to the back of the mound?" Luetge joked after the game when asked how he felt about the scene. "It was Boone's decision, and I get it. When Matt (Blake) came out, I knew what it was about. It was the baseball move with the lefty on deck.”
Meadows made the Yankees pay, looping what ended up a game-icing two-run double to left-center – bringing the Comerica Park crowd to cheers before they went right back to booing the Yankees.
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“First thing to come to my mind was let’s go. I was aggressive early there, and was able to put something in play and get a couple runs across,” Meadows told Bally Sports Detroit after the game. “I get it, the choice to face me with a lefty right there. Obviously, everyone wants Miggy up there in that spot, but the game situation dictated differently, and it’s a little extra motivation when you see the guy ahead of you get walked, whether it’s Miggy or not, to face you.”
Cabrera himself tried to quiet the booing crowd after the third out was made, pointing to the scoreboard that read 3-0 Detroit, but he gets their frustration.
“This is baseball, it was a lefty behind me and that’s part of the game. I had three chances to get a hit, and I was 0-for-3, so I have to do my job” Cabrera said. “I love (the crowd reaction) and I understand they want to see 3,000, but we want to win first.”
Like Cabrera, Detroit skipper A.J. Hinch had “zero doubt” what was going to happen, and was just happy it worked out for his squad to add some insurance runs.
“Boonie’s obligation is to his team’s chances of winning, and he had the matchup behind Miggy he wanted,” Hinch said. “Our fans responded accordingly, but I totally get it. Austin was able to get a hit, and we won the game, which is what Miggy was happiest with.”
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It appeared as if Hinch and Cabrera had an animated exchange in the dugout, but it was all good.
“He wanted to make sure that everyone was perfectly clear that winning the game was the priority,” Hinch said. “Miggy has handled this the same way with every chase – he wants to win. We’ve lost a couple games in a row here, so I’m super proud of Miggy for having that feel and worrying about the rest of his team.”
Cabrera noted he “wanted to swing at everything today,” but he’s hopeful he can get it Friday (or this weekend) against the Rockies – and that’s something the Tigers are looking forward to, too.
“The environment today was awesome; there’s always a little extra when you play the Yankees, and add in that extra buzz every time Miggy got up…it was incredible to see the response,” said Hinch.
Added Meadows of being on deck four times behind Cabrera: “Kind of cool to see that and take it all in, because we may never see it again.”
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