Miggy is AL Player of the Month second time this year

Miggy is AL Player of the Month second time this year
Cabrera slugged 11 homers, most by a Tigers player in August since Kaline in 1967

By Joey Nowak / MLB.com | 9/4/2013 3:45 P.M. ET

Miguel Cabrera kept pace in his pursuit of an unprecedented second consecutive Triple Crown with a monster August that on Wednesday earned him American League Player of the Month honors.

Cabrera entered the day leading the Major Leagues in batting average (.355) and RBIs (130), while trailing only Baltimore's Chris Davis, by four, in home runs. Davis has a Major League-best 47.

The Tigers third baseman, battling a series of injuries that have hobbled him and kept him out of the lineup at times, hit .356 with five doubles, 11 home runs, 31 RBIs, 17 runs scored and 13 walks in 27 games to earn his fourth career monthly honor, and second of the season. He also won the award for June.

His 11 homers were the most by a Tiger in the month of August since Hall of Famer Al Kaline belted 12 in 1967. Among league leaders with a minimum of 84 plate appearances during the stretch, Cabrera was first in slugging (.733) and total bases (74), tied for first in homers and RBIs, fourth in batting average and tied for fourth in extra-base hits (16).

He hit safely in 23 of 27 games, reaching base safely in the first 26 before departing after one hitless at-bat due to injury on Aug. 30. That snapped a 32-game streak that began on July 20.

Cabrera's month was highlighted by a four-game stretch of multiple-hit games from Aug. 9-12.. That included three games in which he hit .538 with a double, three homers, five RBIs and four runs against the Yankees.

Joey Nowak is a reporter for MLB.com. Follow him on Twitter at @joeynowak. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.