Detroit Tigers designated hitter Miguel Cabrera reacts on first base after his 3,000th career hit during the first inning of the first baseball game of a doubleheader against the Colorado Rockies, Saturday, April 23, 2022, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)

DETROIT — Miguel Cabrera achieved another major milestone as the Detroit Tigers ruled the day.

Austin Gomber and the Colorado Rockies won the night.

Cabrera needed only one at-bat Saturday to deliver his long-awaited 3,000th career hit, quickly reaching the mark as the Tigers routed the Rockies 13-0 in the opener of a day-night doubleheader.

Gomber tossed six scoreless innings as the Rockies spoiled the major league pitching debut of Beau Brieske with a 3-2 victory in the nightcap.

Cabrera became the 33rd player in major league history and first Venezuelan-born player to reach the 3,000-hit mark when he grounded a first-inning single into right field. The hit came against fellow Venezuelan Antonio Senzatela and set off rousing cheers and chants at Comerica Park.

“I think I’m still dreaming,” Cabrera said. “To be able to see 3,000 up there, pretty special.”

Cabrera added a bases-loaded, two-run single in the sixth, then was pulled for a pinch-runner and drew another huge ovation. He had a first-inning single in the nightcap and finished the day with 3,002 hits.

The 39-year-old Cabrera became just the seventh player with 500 home runs and 3,000 hits. He joined an exclusive club that also includes Hank Aaron, Willie Mays, Eddie Murray, Rafael Palmeiro, Albert Pujols and Alex Rodriguez.

He’s the seventh Latino player to get 3,000 hits. Pujols was the previous player to reach the mark, doing it in 2018.

Cabrera is the third player to get his 3,000th hit in a Tigers uniform, joining Ty Cobb and Al Kaline.

“We’re going to walk away today positive,” Detroit manager A.J. Hinch said. “Obviously, it’s a bummer to lose the game tonight, we’ve got some things to work on and get better at. But any day you’re involved in a historic day, it’s a good day.”

After getting his 2,999th career hit on Wednesday, Cabrera went 0 for 3 on Thursday. The Rockies-Tigers game scheduled for Friday night was rained out, putting history on hold for another day.

Cabrera fouled off the first pitch he saw Saturday and took a ball from Senzatela before his milestone swing.

“When I saw the second baseman almost behind second base, I was like, `OK, you’ve got to shoot the ball that way,'” he said.

He raised his right arm while heading to first base as right fielder Randal Grichuk retrieved the ball. The Comerica Park crowd of 37,566 roared and Rockies shortstop José Iglesias, who played with Cabrera on the Tigers, raced over to give his former teammate a big hug.

His current teammates then came streaming from the dugout to congratulate him before he went behind home plate to embrace his mother, wife, son and daughter on the field.

Cabrera scored three batters later on rookie Spencer Torkelson’s three-run homer as Detroit jumped to a 4-0 lead. Pinch-runner Eric Haase replaced Cabrera after his two-run single in the sixth.

Tigers starter Tarik Skubal (1-1) allowed five hits and struck out six in six innings. The two players who batted in front of Cabrera, Robbie Grossman and Austin Meadows, combined for five hits, five runs scored and three RBIs. Harold Castro added four hits and scored two runs.

In the nightcap, Brieske allowed only three hits in five innings but two were homers. Connor Joe led off the game with his third homer and Charlie Blackmon ripped a two-run shot in the third.

Brieske was still thrilled to make his debut on the same day Cabrera made history.

“Being able to be part of that is one of the coolest things, on top of the debut,” he said. “That’s something we all got to experience and that’s something I won’t ever forget.”

Gomber (1-1) limited Detroit to four hits and struck out eight. Alex Colome gave up a two-out, two-run triple to Meadows in the ninth before getting his second save.

Sunday: Rockies 6, Tigers 2

DETROIT (AP) — Randal Grichuk had three hits, including his first home run of the season, and the Colorado Rockies beat the Detroit Tigers 6-2 Sunday.

The Rockies ended up with a series win despite a 13-0 loss in the opening game of Saturday’s doubleheader.

“That first game really got away from us, but we came back with a good performance in the second game and we played really well again today,” said Connor Joe, who walked, doubled and scored a run. “We’re playing really good baseball right now, and this gives us another series win.”

A day after getting his 3,000th hit, Tigers star Miguel Cabrera didn’t play. He got three hits in a doubleheader split Saturday, raising his career hit total to 3,002.

Charlie Blackmon had four hits, scored twice and drove in two runs for Colorado.

“Charlie is a great hitter and he’s proven that again and again over the years,” Rockies manager Bud Black said. “He’s going to get big hits and help us win games.”

Chad Kuhl (2-0) again pitched well for his new team, allowing one run and four hits in six innings. He walked two and struck out four and has a 1.10 ERA in three starts for the Rockies.

“I think the secret right now is that I’m not worrying about the small misses and I’m trying to minimize the big misses,” Kuhl said. “I didn’t let myself get into a lot of 2-0 or 3-1 counts, and I was really able to lean on my slider when I needed it.”

Tyler Alexander (0-2) allowed five runs on eight hits and a walk in 3 2/3 innings.

“Watching this team for the last three games, you can really see why they are hitting as well as they are,” Tigers manager A.J. Hinch said. “They are always battling you. They never give up on an at-bat, even with two strikes, and they never give up on an inning, even with two outs.”

The Rockies took a 1-0 lead in the first when Blackmon doubled and later scored on C.J. Cron’s infield single.

Grichuk hit a two-run homer for a 3-0 lead in the third. Austin Meadows made it 3-1 with an RBI single in the bottom of the inning.

Blackmon hit a two-run single in the fourth, ending Alexander’s day.

“He just wasn’t very sharp,” Hinch said. “He can usually spot his cutter wherever he needs it, but that wasn’t there today.”

Ryan McMahon added an RBI single in the fifth. All six Colorado runs came with two out.

“When you are getting those runs, they are a huge lift, because you’ve got a number on the board,” Black said. “When you are giving them up, they are killers. You’ve gotten two out, you might have made some really good pitches with runners in scoring position and then you can’t get out of the inning.”

Trainer’s room

Tigers Detroit activated SS Javier Báez (thumb) from the disabled list and optioned RHP Jason Foley to Triple-A Toledo. … LHP Andrew Chafin is expected to join the Tigers on Monday.

Iglesias makes plays

Detroit fans have warmly welcomed back Rockies SS Jose Iglesias, and he made two plays Sunday that were reminiscent of his days with the Tigers. In the fifth inning, with Colorado shifting for Tucker Barnhart, he started a 6-5-3 double play and in the sixth, Detroit had runners on first and second with one out. Jeimer Candelario’s popup fell between three defenders in shallow left, but Iglesias grabbed the ball and fired to Kuhl for a 6-1 force play at third.

“Iggy is just a great instinctive player – he knows exactly what he has to do to make those plays happen. We see it all the time,” Black said.

Next up

Colorado travels to Philadelphia to begin a four-game series on Monday. Kyle Freeland (0-2, 7.71) is scheduled to start the opener against Kyle Gibson (1-1, 3.57).

Detroit starts a three-game series in Minnesota on Monday. Tigers lefty Eduardo Rodriguez (0-1, 5.27) will face Minnesota’s (0-2, 5.00).