The 2009 Detroit Tigers season was a year of resurgence and exciting baseball, as the team spent 146 days in first place and finished with a strong 86-77 record. Led by manager Jim Leyland, the Tigers featured a high-powered offense anchored by Miguel Cabrera, who led the team in hits and home runs, and a dominant pitching staff led by Justin Verlander, who topped the league with 269 strikeouts. Fans enjoyed numerous highlights, including back-to-back sweeps in May and June and a historic performance on May 15 where the team hit two grand slams in a single game. While the season ended in a hard-fought tie-breaker game, the campaign revitalized the franchise and established a winning culture in Detroit.