The Tigers walk the tightrope in 9th place, Tarik Skubal’s injury scare leads the Astros in Game 1

After eight innings in the first game of the Tigers-Astros Wild Card Series, Detroit had a nice three-run lead thanks to a huge second inning. Wenceel Pérez and Parker Meadows were on the corners with two outs, then Jake Rogers capitalized on the momentum with an RBI single for the first run of the day. Trey Sweeney followed for another hit, and then Matt Vierling capped the bottom of the game with the Tigers’ third straight RBI single before Justyn-Henry Malloy struck out to end the inning.

Meanwhile, Tarik Skubal was absolutely in business. He managed the end of the first with just five throws, and although he suffered a wrist liner in the second, he stayed in and put the Astros in order. The only hits Houston scored under Skubal’s watch were four singles in another absolute masterclass start for the Triple Crown winners the Tigers.

The Tigers only kept him in the game for six innings, but he fought through that comebacker and another injury delay in the sixth inning when the always classy Astros fans at Minute Maid Park had the nerve to boo him.

Will Vest kept the game in check in the seventh and eighth innings, outscoring the Astros 1-2-3 in both innings. But Jason Foley came in to finish things off and that’s when things got hairy.

With three outs between the Tigers and their first postseason win, the Astros threatened an absolutely insane comeback victory. Yordan Alvarez — the only Astro other than Alex Bregman to have a chance against Skubal — doubled, and then Bregman hit a single to put runners on first and third. Yainer Diaz scored the Astros’ first run with a weak grounder over the right side. With two players in a 3-1 game and no outs, the Astros had a chance to get the win. Uh-oh.

Tigers win Wild Card Game 1 from Astros thanks to Tarik Skubal’s size and second inning rally

Jeremy Peña (annoyingly) sacked to put the runners in scoring position, and AJ Hinch had seen enough of Foley after that. Beau Brieske, who started 12 regular-season games for the Tigers – 10 in August and September alone – and didn’t make the Opening Day roster, replaced him at the defining moment of his season. He immediately brought Victor Caratini to the line to (hopefully) put just one batter between the Tigers and victory.

After an eight-pitch battle with Chas McCormick in which everything slowed down when McCormick called a timeout and then Brieske called a timeout, the batter walked on a sinker in the dirt to load the bases. Jason Heyward was the Astros’ next (and hopefully) last man. The strike went back and forth: a ball in the dirt, a foul, a ball, a swing strike, 2-2. One stroke away.

On a switch that probably didn’t end where Brieske wanted it (just a few inches from center), Heyward reached out and scored, but he hit the ball right to Spencer Torkelson, who ripped it over his head . Crisis averted. The Tigers win and have the upper hand in Wednesday’s matchup as they look to knock out the Astros in the first round.

Astros fans at Minute Maid Park cheered and prayed (literally) for a picture-perfect ending: a walk-off grand slam or even a bases-clearing double. The Tigers have completely closed the door on them, and that’s what Houston fans get when they boo a pitcher during an injury delay. The Gritty Tigs won’t go down easily.