‘What You’ve Been Waiting For:’ Tigers Kick Off Playoffs Against Astros; Schedule and TV Details Inside

Detroit — As is customary after the regular season wraps up, the bags were packed.

However, for the first time in a decade—a painful stretch that predates every player on the current roster—these bags are filled with uniforms and aren’t heading home. Instead, they’re en route to Houston, where the Tigers will make their franchise’s first postseason appearance since 2014.

The Tigers will kick off their best-of-three series against the Astros on Tuesday, with Game 2 on Wednesday and, if needed, Game 3 on Thursday. All games will begin at 2:32 p.m. Eastern Time and will be broadcast on ABC.

Just two months ago, the Tigers seemed finished, but now they are poised for a moment in the spotlight. “I’m sure people will feel anxiety and pressure; it comes with the territory,” said Kerry Carpenter, who hit a grand slam—his second career slam—in a 9-5 loss to the Chicago White Sox at Comerica Park on Sunday afternoon. “It’s about who can perform at their best, despite the pressure. Once the first pitch is thrown,” added Carpenter, one of 25 Tigers making their major-league playoff debuts, “it’s the same game.”

Entering Sunday, the Tigers needed either a win or a loss from the Kansas City Royals to secure a first-round matchup against Baltimore. However, Detroit lost for the second consecutive time to the historically poor White Sox, while the Royals defeated the Atlanta Braves, 4-2.

So now, it’s off to Houston for the first-ever playoff matchup between these cities in major professional sports.

The Astros have been a dominant force in MLB, winning two World Series titles (2017 and 2022) and seven AL West championships in the past eight years. While the Astros were expected to be here, the Tigers’ journey is remarkable, having been nine games under .500 in early July and eight games under .500, trailing by ten games in the wild-card race by early August.

“It’s what we’ve worked for,” said catcher Jake Rogers, who began his career in the Astros’ system as a third-round pick in 2016 before joining the Tigers in the Justin Verlander trade in 2017. “This is what we want, and we’re excited about it.

“We have a lot of great players, and it’s going to be an enjoyable series heading to Houston.” The Tigers-Astros matchup is filled with intriguing storylines, especially concerning Verlander, who spent the first 12-plus years of his MLB career with the Tigers after being selected second overall in the 2004 Draft. Verlander led Detroit to two World Series appearances, though they never clinched a title. In contrast, he has won two championships and two additional Cy Young awards with the Astros, but this year has been challenging for him at age 41, posting a 5.48 ERA over 17 starts, leaving his postseason role uncertain.

Another angle to consider is Tigers manager AJ Hinch, who guided the Astros to their first World Series title in 2017 but faced consequences from the notorious sign-stealing scandal. After leading the Astros back to the World Series in 2019, he received a one-year suspension from MLB for the 2017 investigation and was subsequently let go by Houston.

The Tigers reached out to Hinch right after the 2020 World Series concluded, once his suspension ended. Following Friday night’s clinching game, he expressed gratitude to the Tigers for the second chance. Now, he has the opportunity to prove himself against the team that helped shape his career, for better or worse. “Baseball can take you to unexpected places,” Hinch remarked on Sunday at Comerica Park, as a Penske truck was loaded with players’ bags and equipment for their flight to Houston, with an advanced scouting report on the Astros already on his desk. “Sometimes it brings you back to familiar places, and I’m ready for the challenge.”

Rogers added, “Baseball has a funny way of working things out.”

The Tigers and Astros will hold a practice day on Monday at Minute Maid Park, where Detroit’s ace, Tarik Skubal, the AL Triple Crown winner and a favorite for the Cy Young, will face Houston’s ace, Framber Valdez, in a left-handed showdown. The Tigers’ pitching strategy remains uncertain, as they’ve used an unconventional approach over the past seven weeks, relying on openers and bulk pitchers from the bullpen to achieve this surprising 17th postseason appearance in franchise history.

The winner of this series will advance to face the AL Central champion Cleveland Guardians in the best-of-five Division Series. The Royals and Baltimore Orioles will compete in another wild-card series, with the winner taking on the New York Yankees. The National League playoff lineup will be finalized Monday with a doubleheader between the New York Mets and Atlanta Braves.

The 12-team expanded playoff format, introduced by MLB in 2022, does not allow the lower wild-card seed to host a playoff game unless they reach the Division Series. The Tigers recently attracted over 120,000 fans during their last three games, and players are eager to provide them with more in-person baseball in 2024.

“That would be incredible,” said Carpenter, who hopes the roar from Comerica Park following his grand slam on Sunday won’t be the last of the 2024 season. “I know it would mean a lot to these fans as well.

“We’re determined to do everything we can to return here and host a playoff game in Detroit. There’s definitely a home-field advantage, so we’re counting on that.” Skubal added, “I would really love that… but our focus needs to be on Tuesday.”

Comerica Park will still welcome fans for a watch party on Tuesday, with tickets priced at $5, and a portion of the proceeds going to the team’s foundation, available at tigers.com.

It’s been a while since the Tigers and Astros faced off. They played a series in Detroit in May and another in Houston in June during the Tigers’ two toughest months of the season—the only months in which they recorded losses. The Astros (88-73) won two out of three games in both series, with Skubal splitting his matchups.

The Tigers (86-76) are now a significantly different team, both in terms of roster and the atmosphere in the clubhouse, despite finishing the regular season with a couple of relatively insignificant losses.

Back in early August, the Tigers had only a 0.2% chance of making the playoffs, or 500-to-1 odds, but they have since become the hottest team in baseball, culminating in Friday night’s clinching win and the celebratory champagne. They’ve tasted what it takes to reach this level; now, they want to remain on it.

They’re not ready to pack their bags for good.

“It’s what you dream of as a kid,” said Matt Vierling, who came close to winning a World Series with the Philadelphia Phillies in 2022. “This is why you play baseball.”