Cabrera expected to benefit from reshuffle, when healthy

Detroit — A couple days ago, manager Brad Ausmus was asked about the alarming frequency that Miguel Cabrera bats with the bases empty.

Entering play Friday, he had 170 at-bats (out of 331 plate appearances) with the bases empty. He's had 68 with a runner on first and only 93 with runners in scoring position.

Ausmus, at least publicly, dismissed the numbers, saying he measures a season on 162 games. But the Tigers continue to struggle to score and Cabrera keeps hitting with bases empty, so on Friday Ausmus moved to remedy the situation.

He reconfigured the lineup, radically. He moved Ian Kinsler and Yoenis Cespedes to the top in an attempt to get more traffic on the bases for Cabrera, Victor Martinez and J.D. Martinez.

"I'm not going to bury my head in the sand and wait," Ausmus said. "At some point, you have to do something to change the way the offense has been clicking. Because, if you look at each guys' numbers individually, they're not bad.

"But for whatever reason it wasn't translating."

And the early returns?

All was well until Cabrera injured his left calf and left the game in the fourth.

Cespedes doubled in front of Cabrera in the first inning and Cabrera singled him home. A quick lead.

In the fourth, Cabrera singled to start a five-run rally, aided by two throwing errors by Blue Jays left fielder and former Tiger Ezequiel Carrera. Victor Martinez, Nick Castellanos and Anthony Gose all singled in the inning.

Back-to-back doubles by Victor and J.D. Martinez in the fifth plated the seventh run. J.D. Martinez singled in the eighth run in the seventh.

"Stringing some hits together was good to see," Ausmus said. "We haven't really done that much in recent days."

But with all the best laid plans, Ausmus has to go back to the drawing board. He said he doubts Cabrera will avoid a stint on the disabled list.

"Between the way the game went, and talking to Miggy and the doctors, I really haven't had time to consider (what the lineup will look like)," he said. "But there's a pretty good chance it'll be different."

chris.mccosky@detroitnews.com

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