TORONTO — Miguel Cabrera became the 28th major league player to hit 500 home runs, reaching the milestone in the sixth inning Sunday as the Detroit Tigers played the Toronto Blue Jays.
The 38-year-old Cabrera connected on a 1-1 pitch from left-hander Steven Matz, sending the ball over the scoreboard in right-center field. The homer tied the score 1-all.
Fans at Rogers Centre rose for a standing ovation as Cabrera rounded the bases, and the Tigers slugger later came out of the dugout to accept a curtain call, taking off his helmet and bowing to the crowd behind the first base dugout.
Cabrera, who won the Triple Crown and the first of back-to-back MVP awards in 2012, is the first Venezuelan to hit 500 homers. He is hoping to become the first hitter to reach 500 homers and 3,000 hits in the same season.
His 500th home run was hit No. 2,955 of his career and he can reach that 3,000 milestone this year, too, if he can stay healthy and average one hit per game. Only six players have 3,000 hits and 500 homers: Hank Aaron, Willie Mays, Rafael Palmeiro, Albert Pujols, Alex Rodriguez and Eddie Murray.
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