The first team to advance to the divisional series is the Detroit Tigers. An underdog team came to Houston to take on the empire that is the Astros. It is not an easy task, but they sure did make it look easy. The Tigers ended the season red hot and earned and deserved their spot in the playoffs. Needless to say, they went on to earn and deserved their spot this series sweep to the Astros, ending a very impressive run.

Tigers Advance to the ALDS

This feels like a team of destiny, much like the Arizona Diamondbacks from a season ago. They went on a heater to end the season and punched their ticket to the big dance. Their opponent was the daunting Houston Astros, who have been a perennial contender for the last seven years.

This series had a feel good story for it. Manager AJ Hinch returned to the place where he helped guide the Astros to a World Series and numerous ALCS appearances. Hinch and the Tigers not only swept the series, but advanced to the ALDS for the first time since 2014. So what did we learn from this series?

Any time you have Tarik Skubal on the mound, you have a good chance to win. Skubal pitched six scoreless innings, while pinching out six batters. The Tigers did just enough offensively, erupting for three runs in the second inning and getting to Astros pitcher Framber Valdez. Valdez carried a 4.24 ERA in postseason play into this game. In 2023, Valdez had a 9.00 ERA and he finished the outing against the Tigers with a 6.23 ERA, allowing seven hits and walking two batters. Not the ideal start you wanted to see from Valdez, but the Tigers got the job done.

Game 2 was tougher for the Tigers offense. Hunter Brown put on a clinic, striking out nine batters and allowing two hits. Sadly, one of those hits saw the baseball leave the yard. As much as the Astros crawled back into the game, the Tigers showed their true colors.

Andy Ibáñez CLEARS THE BASES 😤

(via @MLB) pic.twitter.com/zuzPalz2DC

— B/R Walk-Off (@BRWalkoff) October 2, 2024

The Tigers are a pesky team. They cause chaos on the base paths and find ways to get into scoring position. A pinch hit bases clearing triple was the deciding factor and the Tigers bullpen shut the door.

What We Learned From This Series

Tigers Pitching is Legitimate

What we learned is that the Tigers pitching is legitimate. Aside from Skubal, this is a team that has depth. After Skubal came out of the game in game one, it was the bullpen that helped lock things down. Vest, Holton, Foley, and Brieske helped lock things down.

Game two was where the bullpen shined brightly. Opting to throw a bullpen game, they did their part limiting damage. As a unit they only allowed five hits and just two runs. If you are Hinch, you have to be pleased with this.

Will Vest has been a machine. In just 2.2 innings pitched, he’s given up no hits, struck out five batters, and has a save under his belt. This is amazing stuff from the Tigers and something to look forward to in the divisional series.

The Astros Bats Disappeared

The Astros high octane bats did not do enough in this series. This is a cast of characters that has Jose Altuve, Alex Bregman, Yordan Alvarez, and Kyle Tucker. Well, the bats did not deliver, as they had 12 hits in the series and produced only three runs. Collectiveky, they finished with a subpar batting average of .195, an on base percentage of .271, and the power was not evident with a .210 slugging percentage.

Altuve went 1-7. Alvarez went 2-7. Bregman went 3-8. Diaz was 2-7 and Pena was 1-6. Simply put the high octane bats for the Astros had no answer for the Tigers pitching and it showed.

For the first time in seven years, the Astros will not be in the ALCS. For the Tigers, they’ll travel to Cleveland to take on the Guardians. The vibes in the Motor City are immaculate and that place will be rocking when they return home.