Game 1/ Oct 1st: Tigers @ Houston – 2:32 PM EST / ABC

Game 2/ Oct 2nd: Tigers @ Houston – 2:32 PM EST / ABC

*Game 3/ Oct 3rd: Tigers @ Houston – 2:32 PM EST / ABC *if necessary*

When the All Star Break came around, every sports reporter and every MLB fan other then the Tigers fan, we’re counting out the Tigers. It wasn’t because everyone was hating on them, it was just because they we’re 47-50. Not horrible but still below the critical .500 that every team strives to be above. On August 10th, the Tigers we’re 8 games below .500 and 10 games behind the wild card race, with a 0.2% chance of making the playoffs.

Fast forward to today, the Tigers went 31-11, locking themselves into the playoffs. After the Twins took multiple losses in the months of August and September. Pretty much no one expected for the Tigers to even be here in August but here we are.

The Astros like i previously mentioned, have had lots of injury problems, offseason moves, new manager, but regardless the Astros still made the playoffs despite a late surge from the Marlins.

This will be the first time in MLB’s history that both teams will face each other in the playoffs. The Astros hold the all time record over the Tigers with 50 wins and 38 losses. It’s also worth noting that the Astros have won 4 and lost 2 against the Tigers this season.

Detroit will play all 3 games in Houston (3rd game if necessary)

Detroit Tigers Breakdown

The Tigers defense as seen above has been tremendously impressive all season, ranking top 10 in runs allowed, on base slugging against, batting average against, total bases allowed and errors. Now they don’t have big name batters in their dugout like the Dodgers and the Yankees do, but they have always came up in big scenarios especially when runners were in scoring position.

Two big names that you should know this playoffs if you haven’t watched a single Tigers game is Riley Greene and Kerry Carpenter. Carpenter who missed almost half the season due to injury is locked in currently at the plate and Riley Greene who led the Tigers in home runs this season with 24.

Top 5 Tigers Batters

Name	Games	At Bats	AVG	Hits	RBI	Runs	Home Runs	K’s
Riley Greene	137	512	.262	134	74	82	24	156
Kerry Carpenter	87	264	.284	75	57	37	18	75
Matt Vierling	144	518	.257	133	57	80	16	121
Colt Keith	148	516	.260	134	61	54	13	110
Jake Rogers	102	310	.197	61	36	43	10	99

Tigers Starting/Relief/Closer Pitchers Stats

Name	IP	ERA	W/L	K’s	HRA	Hits	Earned Runs
Tarik Skubal	192.0	2.39	18 – 4	228	15	142	51
Kenta Maeda	112.1	6.09	3- 7	96	22	124	76
Reese Olson	112.1	3.53	4-8	101	7	100	41
Casey Mize	102.1	4.49	2-6	78	11	121	51
Keider Montero	98.1	4.76	6-6	77	19	100	52
Jason Fooley	60.0	3.15	3-6	46	5	51	21
Tyler Holton	94.1	2.19	7-2	77	7	57	23
Will Vest	70.1	2.85	3-4	63	3	61	22
Beau Brieske	67.2	3.59	4-5	69	5	55	27
Shelby Miller	55.2	4.53	6-8	49	9	41	28
Jack Flaherty (Traded to the Dodgers)	106.2	2.95	7-5	133	15	83	35

I think when the Tigers traded away Jack Flaherty, they didn’t think they would be in the scenario that they are in today, preparing for a wild card matchup against the Houston Astros. But they are and they will need to do it without him.

A couple of days ago, the Detroit Tigers placed Shelby Miller on waivers which means, if he clears waivers, he will become a free agent and that will be huge for teams in the offseason, and it will be interesting to see who the Tigers will turn in a close/save situation if one of these games comes down to it.

Tarik Skubal will get the ball for Game 1, Skubal as seen in the stats above, has been pitching exceptionally well this season, and should be a huge problem for the Astros.

The Astros have seen Skubal once this season on June 14th. The Astros won the ballgame, 4-0 with Skubal allowing all 4 of those runs. He pitched 6.1 innings and also allowed 6 hits, 1 home run and only had 2 strikeouts.

Reasons why the Tigers can win this series:

1. Tarik Skubal gets the call to the mound who has had a amazing season, he led the MLB in strikeouts with 228, and led the MLB in wins with 18. The last time he faced the Astros, it wasn’t the prettiest but I think he will absolutely lock it down for the Tigers. Skubal since his last loss on August 2nd, he has pitched 45.2 innings, 66 strikeouts and 11 earned runs in 9 games. He’s earned wins in 6 of those and 3 of them we’re either NC or awarded to different pitchers.
2. Depending how the lineup is made out, I really think that the Tigers can make some noise early in the game. Like I mentioned earlier, the Tigers don’t have power hitters or household names but they do get on base and bring their boys home. It will be interesting to see how Tigers manager A.J Hinch will go about his playoff lineup card.
3. The underdog effect is very strong on this Detroit team, with every general MLB fan, cheering on the Tigers to make a deep playoff run but more specifically beat the Astros. The Tigers had a 0.2% chance of making the postseason and they made it. Right now Vegas has them at a +3000 to win the World Series which is tied with the Royals for the highest odds amongst all playoff teams.
4. A.J. Hinch, with his experience and strategic acumen, brings a tactical advantage. His familiarity with the Astros, having managed them previously, could be used to exploit tendencies or strategies that might still be in play. His innovative approach to bullpen usage, especially in critical games, might provide an edge in navigating the high-stakes chess game of playoff baseball.

Houston Astros Breakdown

The Astros’ offense has been consistent throughout the season with one of the highest averages across the team in the league.

3 of their batters finished the season at above .290 and 3 batters finished above .260. A highly impressive feat across the board for all of them. All around their offense has been producing and their defense has been just as stellar, ranking top 10 in all major defensive categories other then errors where they place 12th in errors allowed.

Overall the Astros rank 9th in real’s season rankings and are a +800 to win the World Series according to FanDuel.

Despite challenges like Yordan Alvarez’s injury concerns, other players stepped up. For instance, the contributions from Jason Heyward and Ben Gamel at various points in the season, alongside Jason Castro’s veteran presence, played significant roles. Also, the emergence of Hunter Brown as a reliable starter and the consistent performance from veterans like Altuve provided stability.

Top 5 Astros Batters

Name	Games	At Bats	AVG	Hits	RBI	Runs	Home Runs	SO
Yordan Alvarez	147	552	.308	170	86	88	35	95
Alex Bregman	145	581	.260	151	75	79	26	86
Kyle Tucker	78	277	.289	80	49	56	23	54
Jose Altuve	153	628	.295	185	65	94	20	119
Yainer Diaz	148	585	.299	175	84	70	16	107

Starting Pitchers and Relief Pitchers Stats

Name	IP	ERA	W/L	K’s	HRA	Hits	Earned Runs
Framber Valdez	176.1	2.91	15-7	169	13	140	57
Hunter Brown	170.0	3.49	11-9	179	18	156	66
Ronel Blanco	167.1	2.80	13-6	166	22	114	52
Spencer Arrighetti	145.0	4.53	7-13	171	21	139	73
Justin Verlander	90.1	5.48	5-6	74	15	98	55
Josh Hader	71.0	3.80	8-8	105	12	43	30
Bryan Abreu	78.1	3.10	3-3	103	9	59	27
Tayler Scott	68.2	2.23	7-3	71	7	45	21
Ryan Pressly	56.2	3.49	2-3	58	4	58	22
Yusei Kikuchi	60.0	2.70	5-1	76	8	42	18

Under the first-year management of Joe Espada, the team made several strategic adjustments. This included refining their pitching strategy, where pitchers like Framber Valdez and Yusei Kikuchi adapted their pitching styles to become more effective. The addition of players like Yusei Kikuchi and the performance of others like Jon Singleton provided crucial depth and performance boosts when needed.

Despite not having the depth in starting pitching as in previous years, the top of their rotation, along with a revamped bullpen strategy, kept them competitive. The lower ERA since May 1 and the performance in crucial games highlighted their pitching strength.

Framber Valdez will get the ball tomorrow for the start and pitch in Game 1 of the Wild Card. Framber who leads the Astros pitching staff in wins will hope to put up a huge performance and send the Tigers packing early.

Reasons why the Astros can win this series

1. The Astros began the season with a dismal 7-19 record, facing significant skepticism about their playoff prospects. However, they demonstrated an incredible turnaround, showcasing a level of resilience that has characterized their recent playoff runs.
2. The Astros overcame a 10-game deficit in the AL West by mid-June, showcasing not just talent but a psychological edge in never giving up. This mental fortitude, combined with their experience in high-pressure situations, played a significant role.
3. The Astros’ recent history of deep playoff runs provided them with a significant advantage. This experience allowed them to manage games and series in a way that less seasoned teams might struggle with, particularly in tight, critical games towards the end of the season.

No matter what happens, both teams fought back from huge deficits earlier in the season and will both look to make some huge noise this October.

Game 1 will be crucial for both teams to win, as this is only a 3-game series. Once you lose the first one, your back is essentially to the wall for Game 2 and your forced to win 2 straight ball games with no mistakes.

🐻