2024 American League Wild Card Series 1

2024 American League Wild Card Series

Detroit Tigers 86 - 76 in the AL	2 - 0 Series Summary	Houston Astros 88 - 73 in the AL

Overview[edit]

The Teams[edit]

Managers: Astros: Joe Espada | Tigers: A.J. Hinch

Astros

Tigers

Umpires[edit]

Tony Randazzo, Jordan Baker, Will Little, Alfonso Marquez (crew chief), Jeremie Rehak and Junior Valentine

Series results[edit]

Game	Score	Date	Starters	Time (ET)
1	Detroit Tigers 3 Houston Astros 1	October 1	Tarik Skubal (1-0) Framber Valdez (0-1)	2:32 pm
2	Detroit Tigers 5 Houston Astros 2	October 2	Tyler Holton (0-0) Hunter Brown (0-0)	2:32 pm

Results[edit]

Game 1 @ Minute Maid Park[edit]

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Tigers	0	3	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	3	10	0
Astros	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	1	7	0
WP: Tarik Skubal (1-0); LP: Framber Valdez (0-1); SV: Beau Brieske (1)
Home Runs: none

Attendance: 40,617

Just about every player on the Tigers was making a postseason debut in Game 1, whereas the Astros had a ton of previous experience in such games, but that discrepancy never showed when the game was played. Tarik Skubal, the Tigers' starter, was just as dominant today as he had been all season, limiting Houston to just four hits and no walks in six innings. Meanwhile, Framber Valdez was the one who struggled, getting out of trouble thanks to a double play in the 1st, but not escaping so easily in the 2nd. Wenceel Perez singled with one out, after which Spencer Torkelson drew a walk. Parker Meadows hit into a force out, but Perez made it to third. It was now up to the eighth hitter in the line-up to drive him in, and Jake Rogers did just that with a single to center. Trey Sweeney followed with another single, making the score 2-0, and Matt Vierling singled as well for a 3-0 lead.

It did not look like it yet, but the Tigers had all the runs they would need. As mentioned, Skubal was dominant even if he had a ball hit off the wrist of his non-pitching hand in the 2nd, while Valdez did not complete five innings, giving way to Hector Neris with one out in the 5th. The Astros would then use four more pitchers to finish the game, taxing their bullpen more than the score would indicate. For Detroit, Will Vest handled the 7th and got the first two outs in the 8th, retiring all five men he faced, including four of them via strikeout. Tyler Holton came in to face Kyle Tucker with two outs in the 8th and retired him as well. It was thus still 3-0 for the Tigers heading into the bottom of the 9th.

The Astros almost managed to pull a rabbit out of a hat in their last turn at bat - but the operative word here is "almost". With closer Jason Foley now on the mound, Yordan Alvarez led off with a double and was replaced by pinch-runner Zach Dezenzo. Alex Bregman followed with a single, advancing the runner to third. Yainer Diaz made it three straight hits with a single that scored Dezenzo, and the tying run was now on base. Jeremy Peña then laid down a sacrifice bunt, putting both runners in scoring position. A.J. Hinch replaced Foley with Beau Brieske and, with tension at its highest point, the new pitcher got Victor Caratini to line out to left field for the second out. Chas McCormick next drew a walk to load the bases, but Brieske got Jason Heyward to line out to Torkelson at first base, ending the game.

Game 2 @ Minute Maid Park[edit]

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Tigers	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	4	0	5	7	0
Astros	0	0	0	0	0	0	2	0	0	2	5	1
WP: Sean Guenther (1-0); LP: Ryan Pressly (0-1); SV: Will Vest (1)
Home Runs: DET - Parker Meadows (1)

Attendance: 40,824

In Game 2, the Tigers had to rely on a bullpen game with their ace Tarik Skubal having done what was expected of him the day before. It was not a new strategy for them, as they had resorted to it in abundance during their unlikely run to a postseason slot. Tyler Holton, who had pitched a third of an inning in Game 1, was the opener, but it was clear from the outset that he would only be the first in a parade of pitchers. For Houston, the scenario was more conventional, with Hunter Brown getting the ball, although Yusei Kikuchi was waiting in the wings should he run into trouble early.

The strategies may have been radically different, but the results were equally good for the first five innings. Brown gave up just one hit during that span, while Detroit did not leave any pitcher for as many as two full innings, but with similar results. After Holton, Brenan Hanifee, Brant Hurter and Beau Brieske all took the mound, combining to go six innings without allowing a run, giving up just three hits. By then though, the Tigers had a 1-0 lead, the result of CF Parker Meadows going deep off Brown to lead off the top of the 6th. Brown did not complete that inning, giving way to Bryan Abreu after two outs and a walk. Abreu completed that inning, then retired the Tigers in order in the 7th.

Detroit needed three more innings out of its bullpen with a one-run lead and turned to Jackson Jobe, their top pitching prospect who had made his big league debut only a week earlier. It may have been asking too much of the inexperienced youngster. He hit the first batter of the inning, Victor Caratini, with a pitch, then gave up singles to Jeremy Peña and Mauricio Dubon to load the bases with no one out. Jon Singleton pinch-hit for Chas McCormick and tied the game with a grounder to 1B Spencer Torkelson on which the Tigers were unable to retire anyone. Jose Altuve followed with a sacrifice fly, and Houston had the lead for the first time of the series. Sean Guenther then replaced Jobe and got Kyle Tucker to ground into a double play, keeping the score at 2-1. But it was now the Astros' turn to cough up a lead - and youth was not to blame. The very experienced Ryan Pressly came in to pitch the 8th but after one out gave up back-to-back singles to Kerry Carpenter and Matt Vierling, placing runners on the corners. He then uncorked a wild pitch and the game was tied. He struck out Riley Greene for the second out, but then walked Colt Keith. Manager Joe Espada decided to bring in his closer, Josh Hader, but he walked Torkelson to load the bases. A.J. Hinch called on Andy Ibáñez to pinch-hit for Zach McKinstry, and the strategy worked perfectly, as Ibáñez doubled to left, clearing the bases. The Tigers led again - 5-2.

With a three-run lead, Hinch left Guenther in the game to pitch the 8th and he rewarded his confidence by retiring the Astros in order. The Tigers put three separate runners on base against Hader in the top of the 9th, but did not score as Meadows was picked off first base after his bunt forced out Jake Rogers instead of moving him to second as intended. For the bottom of the 9th, Hinch turned to Will Vest, who had been outstanding in Game 1. He retired the Astros in order, with the help of a nice catch by Meadows in center field, depriving Jeremy Peña of a potential hit, and that was it for Houston, who suffered their earliest postseason exit in decades.