Miguel Cabrera homers as Detroit Tigers beat San Francisco Giants on Sunday Night Baseball

A hobbled Miguel Cabrera continued his hot hitting as he led the Detroit Tigers to salvage one game of the three game weekend series with the San Francisco Giants via a 6-1 win on ESPN’s Sunday Night Baseball.

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Prior to the game, ESPN reported that Cabrera has been playing the last couple months with bone spurs in his ankle and will have off-season surgery. The Tigers denied that surgery was imminent, saying no determination has been made.

The Tigers opened the scoring in the third inning, when Andrew Romine hit a rare single with one out, stole second, and came home on a two-out Torii Hunter base hit. The next batter, Miggy, lifted a majestic homer to center field to make it 3-0.

Another turn through the rotation saw rookie starter Kyle Lobstein pitch better than a couple of the seasoned Tigers’ starters. Lobstein went 5.2 innings, allowing one run on four hits with three strikeouts and two walks. Al Alburquerque got into trouble in the seventh inning, allowing runners at the corners with one out, but Blaine Hardy came in and shut the door on San Francisco.

In the ensuing inning, the Tigers made the Giants pay for their wasted opportunity, led again by Cabrera. Ian Kinsler doubled in Romine to make it 5-1 and Miggy returned the favor, bringing Kinsler home. That RBI was Cabrera’s 100th of the season, making him just the second Detroit Tiger to have seven straight seasons of 100+ RBIs (Harry Heilmann 1923-29).

Victor Martinez then brought home Miggy for the sixth run and a 6-1 Tigers’ lead.

Cabrera finished 2-for-4 with 3 RBIs before being lifted as a defensive replacement in the eighth inning.

Jim Johnson picked a very shaky, 27-pitch, eighth but emerged unscathed. Phil Coke didn’t do much better, but how these two guys didn’t give up a run is beyond comprehension.

The Tigers will have a short turnaround as they start the biggest series of the season when they welcome in the Kansas City Royals for the first of three games on Monday. Because of the Detroit Lions’ season opening game on Monday Night Football tomorrow, the Tigers graciously agreed to move their 7:08 start time up to 4:08. Justin Verlander (12-12, 4.80) will face Jeremy Guthrie (10-10, 4.31).