Detroit Tigers slug their way to huge victory over St. Louis Cardinals

Scott Rovak-USA TODAY Sports

It took only two innings for the Detroit Tigers to put away the St. Louis Cardinals behind 15 runs.

Five different players drove in runs for the Tigers during their seven-run third inning as they coasted to their seventh Grapefruit League victory, defeating the Cardinals, 17-5.  Last Monday, the Tigers pushed past the Cardinals with big third inning as well.

During the scoring barrage in the top of the third inning, Miguel Cabrera hit an opposite-field home run off Cardinals young starting pitcher Shelby Miller.  Miller finished third in the NL Rookie of the Year voting in 2013 and saw his day end after that home run from the two-time AL MVP.

Steven Moya pulled a triple into right field to plate Don Kelly and Nick Castellanos, and Danny Worth hit a double into left field to bring Moya home for the Tigers to make it, 6-0.

Castellanos wasn’t finished either as he took Cardinals pitcher Tyler Lyons deep for a three-run homer in the fourth inning.  The Tigers would add eight more runs in the fourth inning behind Castellanos and Cabrera home runs.

Max Scherzer took the mound for the Tigers on Monday afternoon and looked in mid-season form.  The reigning AL Cy Young award winner allowed only two hits and one walk while striking out four batters over the course of three innings.  Scherzer had it going early on for the Tigers, facing only 11 batters in his three innings pitched.

Notes

• The offense was relentless during the third and fourth innings for the Tigers.  The team totaled 15 runs on 16 hits during those two innings.
• Between the Tigers last game with the Cardinals just one week ago, the offense was only able to score 12 runs in five games
• Rajai Davis, Cabrera and Castellanos all totaled three hits each.  No Tiger had yet to achieve three hits in a game during Grapefruit League play.
• Cabrera, Castellanos and Moya each had four RBI a piece to pace the offense

Box Score Highlights

• R. Davis: 3-for-4, 2B, 2 RBI, 2 runs scored
• M. Cabrera: 3-for-4, 2 HR, 4 RBI, 2 runs scored
• N. Castellanos: 3-for-4, HR, 4 RBI, 2 runs scored
• D. Worth: 2-for-4, 2 2B, 2 RBI, 2 runs scored
• M. Scherzer: 4.2 innings, 2 hits, five strikeouts and one walk
• K. Lobstein: 2 innings, four hits, four earned runs, three strikeouts and one walk

Prospect Watch

• Steven Moya went 3-for-6 with four RBI on Monday.  Moya was a home run shy of hitting for the cycle.  Despite his strong hitting performance, he did total three strikeouts too.  Strikeouts have been Moya’s problem throughout his time in the Tigers’ minor league system, but the big power bat showed during Monday’s game.
• Jordan Lennerton went 1-for-2 with a single and runs scored bumping his batting average up to .278 for the spring.
• Eugenio Suarez went 2-for-2 with two singles after taking over for Steve Lombardozzi.