Miguel Cabrera continues Triple Crown chase

Miguel Cabrera is approaching a historic feat that hasn’t been accomplished since 1967—finishing the season leading the league in home runs, batting average, and runs batted in, or earning the batting Triple Crown. In doing so, he could put his Detroit Tigers, one and a half games back of the Chicago White Sox with 13 left to play, into the playoffs.

Over just his last nine games, he’s hit six home runs, batted .432, and knocked in five, bringing his seasonal totals to 41 homers and 130 RBI with a .333 average.

In the long ball department, he currently trails Josh Hamilton by one. Hamilton, though, is set to sit out the Texas Rangers’ entire weekend series against the Seattle Mariners with vision and sinus issues, giving Cabrera a tremendous opportunity to match or surpass Hamilton’s total of 42.

Cabrera will see P.J. Walters in the nightcap of the Tigers’ doubleheader with the Minnesota Twins on Sunday. Walters has surrendered 1.95 home runs per nine innings in his ten starts this year, and Cabrera already has one homer in seven career plate appearances against him.

Edwin Encarnacion, Adam Dunn, and Curtis Granderson are all pressuring Cabrera from behind, each having two or fewer homers less than the Detroit slugger. None of that trio has added to their homer total since September 16th.

Read more here.