Tarik Skubal dominates, the Tigers survive the 9th inning scare and win Game 1

HOUSTON – The Detroit Tigers are not ready for this magical series to end.

Tarik Skubal pitched six shutout innings to lead the Tigers to a 3-1 victory over the Houston Astros in Game 1 of the Wild Card Series on Tuesday at Minute Maid Park.

The Tigers went 30-11 over six weeks, earning a berth in their first postseason series since 2014. The Astros have made the playoffs eight straight seasons; the previous seven appearances have reached at least the League Championship Series.

This is another streak the Tigers would like to end. Detroit can win the best-of-three series in Game 2 on Wednesday at 2:32 p.m

Skubal won the battle of lefty aces as Astros starter Framber Valdez struggled with control early.

Tigers rookie Justyn-Henry Malloy drew a four-pitch walk against Valdez in the first, but it was nullified when Riley Greene caught a 4-6-3 double play.

But the Tigers collected multiple singles in a three-run second inning.

Wenceel Perez scored the game’s first hit with a one-out single to right. Spencer Torkelson followed with a walk. After Parker Meadows bounced into a fielder’s choice, Valdez fell to catcher Jake Rogers on three straight balls. Rogers elected to swing away on the fourth pitch and hit a ball up the middle to score the game’s first run. Trey Sweeney and Matt Vierling followed with back-to-back RBI singles and the Tigers took an early 3-0 lead.

Skubal was perfect in two innings and finished the second by striking out Astros shortstop Jeremy Pena at 94 mph Slider.

The Astros put a pair of runners on base in the third, but Kyle Tucker singled left fielder Riley Green to end the threat.

Skubal struggled for the first time in the fourth, suffering a nine-pitch at-bat against Alex Bregman, followed by an eight-pitch at-bat against Yainer Diaz that ended with a walk. But after a visit from pitching coach Chris Fetter, Skubal struck out Pena (again) and Victor Caratini to end the threat.

The Tigers ejected Valdez in the fifth after Malloy led off with a single. Reliever Hector Neris threw four balls straight to pinch-hitter Colt Keith, but escaped the inning by striking out Perez and Spencer Torkelson.

Tarik Skubal continued to race, pitching a five-pitch inning in the fifth inning – his second of the game.

In the sixth inning, Skubal narrowly missed the outside corner with a 100-mile-per-hour fastball on a 2-2 pitch to Alex Bregman. Skubal reacted unusually, prompting manager AJ Hinch to jog with head athletic trainer Ryne Eubanks. After a few warmups, Skubal stayed in the game. But Bregman blasted the next pitch high over the left field wall, missing a home run by a few feet and settling for a single.

As the Tigers’ bullpen warmed up quickly, Skubal responded with a three-pitch strikeout against Yainer Diaz, pumping his arms and screaming into his glove as he left the mound.

Skubal became the third Tigers pitcher, joining Max Scherzer (October 2, 2011 in New York) and Joe Coleman (October 10, 1972 against Oakland), to throw six shutout innings in his playoff debut.

Skubal took off with a three-run lead, giving manager AJ Hinch a chance to get the bullpen well-prepared for the finish line.

Right-hander Will Vest retired all five batters he faced, four of which were strikeouts. Left-hander Tyler Holton came in to walk left-hander Kyle Tucker to end the eighth.

Things got hairy in the ninth game.

Astros slugger Yordan Alvarez started the inning with a double off the left field wall against Tigers closer Jason Foley. Alex Bregman reached on an infield hit.

Yainer Diaz appeared to go down after a 0-2 slider from Foley, but home plate umpire Tony Randazzo, after consulting with first base umpire Jordan Baker, changed his decision to foul tip. Diaz pushed the next pitch to right field for an RBI single and the Astros’ first run of the game.

After Jeremy Pena made a nice sacrifice throw to put two runners in scoring position, Hinch turned to right-hander Beau Brieske.

As the 40,617 spectators stood and chanted, Victor Caratini hit a liner to left field that Riley Greene snagged for the second time.

Chas McCormick counted to 3-2 before issuing a walk to load the bases for veteran Jason Heyward.

Heyward struck out a line to Torkelson at first base to end the game.

It was the Tigers’ first playoff win since 2013. In 2014, they were defeated in the playoffs.

This story will be updated.

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Next: The Tigers and Astros play Game 2 of the Wild Card Series – an elimination game – on Wednesday at 2:32 p.m. Eastern Time at Minute Maid Park. Neither team has announced a starter.