Miguel Cabrera intentionally walked by Yankees while one hit from 3,000

Cabrera intentionally walked by Yankees while one hit from 3,000 originally appeared on NBC Sports Bayarea

Fans at Comerica Park in Detroit were about to get one last opportunity to see Miguel Cabrera get his 3,000th hit. Instead, they got to see his 236th intentional walk.

With the Tigers leading the Yankees by one run with two outs in the bottom of the eighth, Cabrera stepped to the plate with runners on second and third. With first base open, Yankees manager Aaron Boone elected to have pitcher Lucas Luetge intentionally walk Cabrera to load the bases, drawing boos from fans in attendance who were denied the opportunity to potentially witness history.

They got some solace when Austin Meadows followed with a first-pitch double to score two runs as the Tigers went on to win 3-0.

The 39-year-old Cabrera, who entered the game needing one hit to become the 33rd player to reach 3,000 hits, went 0-for-3 with two strikeouts. Over the last three seasons, it was just the second time that Cabrera has been intentionally walked.

"It was close, just being down in that spot, felt like that was the matchup we wanted there," Boone said. "Obviously, understanding the moment in time. So, yeah, a little more gut-wrenching than usual.

"We got a lot of respect for Meadows too behind him, just the left on left, I felt like the matchup, I just liked it a little bit better in that situation," Boone said. "And it came down to a baseball call for me there. Tough decision. I thought Lucas executed a pitch, got the soft contact but dumped it in there. So, tough call, but one I had to make."

As Cabrera walked back to the dugout after the inning, fans continued to voice their displeasure over the walk. Cabrera calmed them by pointing to the scoreboard, leading to an ovation and chants of "Yankees suck!"

It was the latest unpopular managerial decision in the young season, with Clayton Kershaw having been pulled from a perfect game by Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts after throwing 80 pitches through seven innings, and Los Angeles Angels manager Joe Maddon intentionally walking Corey Seager of the Texas Rangers with the bases loaded.

Boone said after the game that he understood the fans' disappointment.

"Don't necessarily like being in that position but that's part of it," Boone said. "It's a baseball call all the way, but there's no doubt that there's a little more feeling to it when you're understanding the situation. But in the end, you gotta go with what you think is right within the context of the game."

Cabrera's next opportunity for his 3,000th hit comes Friday at Comerica Park when the Tigers host the Colorado Rockies.