No question that helped Cabrera. In the season that Roger Maris set the single-season HR record, how many times was he intentionally walked? Zero. Why? Because Mickey Mantle was hitting right behind him. Who would you rather pitch to: Roger Maris or Mickey Mantle with a man on base?
The Tigers have a pretty spectacular arsenal despite a less than stellar season. The bats are an obvious danger, Verlander (239 K) and Scherzer (231 K) lead in strike outs, Quintin Berry hasn’t been caught stealing yet, guys like Peralta, Laird, and Avila are proven producers.