Miguel Cabrera was due. The bases were loaded, two outs, seventh inning, game tied.
The Tigers first baseman had a milestone 90 feet to his left - RBI No. 1,500 - and White Sox reliever Nate Jones 60 feet, six inches in front of him. Cabrera had struggled in these situations this season: Before the at-bat, he was 0-for-10 with six strikeouts with the bases loaded this season.
After the at-bat, he had 1,501 career RBIs. He had a four-hit game. The Tigers led. Cabrera’s two-run single pushed him even further into the annals of baseball history, making him the fastest player to reach both the 400 home run and 1,500 RBI marks, and propelling the Tigers to a 7-5 win over the White Sox at US Cellular Field on Friday.
Cabrera recorded his 43rd career four-hit game, reaching base five times, and picked up young right-hander Michael Fulmer, who had the rockiest game of his rookie campaign.
“You could tell the way he’s been swinging,” Tigers manager Brad Ausmus said. “He’s been swinging the bat better, but you could see the concentration level, too. You could see it in his face.”
“It’s hard to say but you almost expect it from him,” Tigers starting pitcher Michael Fulmer said.Fulmer allowed five runs - four earned - on six hits over five innings. He struck out four and walked two. His big blemish was a three-run home run by longtime Tiger killer Justin Morneau, a line drive shot into the Tigers bullpen in right field in the fifth inning to erase a 4-2 lead.
After Chicago jumped on the board with a run in the first inning, the Tigers took a commanding lead in the third inning against former farmhand Jacob Turner, now with his fourth team.
Aided by a pair of errors, the Tigers scored three times against Turner. First, Cameron Maybin doubled into the right-field corner and reached third on an error.
He plated Ian Kinsler, who was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning. Kinsler was then picked off first base but advanced to third on an errant throw by Jose Abreu. Maybin scored on a wild pitch and Nick Castellanos hit a RBI single to centerfield.
Turner’s day was short, throwing over 100 pitches in 31/3 innings. He allowed four runs on five hits, walking four and striking out six.
Victor Martinez added a sacrifice fly in the fourth inning. Fulmer, who danced into and out of trouble in the early innings, cracked for good in the fifth, allowing a double to Abreu before Morneau’s home run.
But the Tigers would take advantage of rookie reliever Carson Fulmer in the seventh inning, who put together an out-of-control inning, surrendering the lead.
Carson Fulmer, making his second career appearance, walked Justin Upton to start the inning. Tyler Collins singled. Jarrod Saltalamacchia walked. Jose Iglesias grounded into a force out to tie the game, Kinsler reached on a fielder’s choice and Maybin walked. There was a wild pitch in there, too. Carson Fulmer threw 28 pitches and was relieved by Jones, who was greeted with a sharp single up the middle.
Cabrera has three consecutive multi-hit games and pushed his average back to .300.
The Tigers bullpen pitched four scoreless innings in relief of Michael Fulmer. Francisco Rodriguez picked up his 27th save in 29 chances in the ninth inning.

RESULTS
Baltimore .............5 Cleveland ...................1
Philadelphia .......4 Pittsburgh .................0
San Diego............ 5 Washington ..............3
NY Yankees ........3 San Francisco ..........2
Seattle ..................2 Toronto ..........................1
Cincinnati ...........6 Arizona .........................2
Minnesota.......... 2 Boston ...........................1
NY Mets ...............5 Miami ............................3
Chicago Cubs 5 Milwaukee ..............2
Detroit ............7 Chicago White Sox 5
Houston .........2 LA Angels ..................1
St. Louis .........4 LA Dodgers...............3
(16 innings)
Kansas City... 3 Texas ............................1
Colorado .......4 Atlanta .........................3
Oakland 1 Tampa Bay 0 (13 innings)