It’s not quite David and Goliath, but Astros vs. Tigers is pretty close.
Battle-tested Houston hosts upstart Detroit in a best-of-three series in the American League Wild Card round, beginning Tuesday.
The Tigers have captivated baseball with a miraculous late-season surge. In early August, they sat eight games under .500, their playoff odds dwindled to a mere 0.2%; they ripped off a 31-11 run to close the regular season, clinching the franchise’s first postseason berth since 2014.
Detroit’s success stems from its stalwart pitching staff, led by AL Cy Young frontrunner Tarik Skubal. The southpaw led the league in wins (18), ERA (2.39), and strikeouts (228) in a domineering season. He’s slated to get the ball in Game 1.
A playoff appearance is nothing new for the Astros, who have made the ALCS in seven consecutive seasons. But even Houston erased a stunning hole to reach October: The Astros were 10 games behind the first-place Mariners in mid-June.
Health is paramount for Houston, as star outfielder Yordan Alvarez recovers from a knee sprain suffered last Sunday. An All-Star for a third straight season, Alvarez mashed 35 home runs with a .959 OPS.