Triple Crown winner Tarik Skubal leads the Tigers into the playoffs for the first time in a decade against the Astros
Game 1 of the American League Wild Card round sees the host Houston Astros begin their quest for a third World Series title in eight years today as they face off against the likely AL Cy Young award winner Tarik Skubal and the Detroit Tigers who are making their first playoff appearance since 2014. Skubal went 18-4 with a 2.39 ERA in the regular season while leading the league in strikeouts and comes into this game on seven days rest as he goes for his third win in as many starts. The Astros will counter with their ace Framber Valdez (15-7, 2.91 ERA) who is 2-2 in his last six starts.
How to Watch Tigers at Astros:
Game Date: Oct 1, 2024
Game Time: 2:30 p.m. ET
TV Channel: ABC
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Valdez is 1-0 against the Tigers this season and is 2-2 in eight career starts with a 2.49 ERA against Detroit. In his seventh season with the Astros, Valdez is 68-41 with a lifetime 3.30 ERA having made a pair of All-Star appearances and helped Houston win its second World Series title in 2022 where he won two games including the clinching Game 6 capping off a perfect 3-0 postseason.
Astros left fielder Yordan Alvarez leads the team in batting average, home runs, runs batted in and on base percentage and was the only Houston player to hit more than 30 home runs. The 27-year-old Cuban recorded his second career 30/30 season but is currently listed as day-to-day with a knee injury that has kept him out of the lineup over the last week.
Houston won a pair of three-game series against the Tigers this season winning two of three at Detroit back in May and then winning two of three games at Minute Maid Park in mid-June. This series marks the first time the two teams have faced each other in the playoffs.
Tigers manager AJ Hinch led the Astros to the 2017 World Series championship but was fired after Major League Baseball suspended Hinch for a year for the Astros sign-stealing scandal.
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