Houston. Cuban Andy Ibáñez broke the tie by emptying the bases with a double in Detroit’s four-run rally in the eighth inning, and the Tigers swept the Houston Astros with a 5-2 victory this Wednesday, in the second game of their American League wild card series.
Parker Meadows hit a home run and Detroit stopped Houston’s streak of seven consecutive appearances in the American Championship Series.
It was a moment of vindication for Tigers manager AJ Hinch, who led Houston to the World Series championship in 2017 and was fired in the wake of the sign-stealing scandal that rocked the Astros.
The Tigers now travel to Cleveland to face the Central Division champion Guardians in the best-of-five division series.
Pressly left after Colt Keith reached with two outs, and closer Josh Hader walked Spencer Torkelson to load the bases.
Hinch then sent Ibáñez to bat for Zach McKinstry. The Cuban hit a 1-2 sinker into the left field corner for a 5-2 lead.
Vierling, Keith and Torkelson jumped and high-fived in celebration after scoring on the decisive swing by Ibáñez, who raised his arms above his head and smiled as he reached second.
Meanwhile, Bobby Witt Jr. reached base with an infield single to drive in the go-ahead run, and the Kansas City Royals beat the Baltimore Orioles 2-1, who had the participation of Mexican Ramón Urías , thereby completing the two-game sweep of the wild card series.
With two outs and runners on the corners in the sixth inning, Witt hit a grounder to the edge of the second base path. Jordan Westburg dove to stop the ball and threw to first.
Witt was already there, going 90 feet in 4.14 seconds, allowing Kyle Isbel to score from third base and sending the Royals to the American League division series.
Kansas City, which went through two seven-game losing streaks in the final month of the season, will face the Eastern Division champion New York Yankees. The first game is scheduled for Saturday in the Bronx.
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– 2024-10-03 13:31:41
