Astros vs. Tigers in AL Wild Card Series

The Houston Astros and the Detroit Tigers are set to face off in the American League Wild Card Series, with Game 1 featuring a pitching duel between Astros' Framber Valdez and Tigers' Tarik Skubal. The Astros, who overcame a poor start to the season to win the AL West, boast significant postseason experience, while the Tigers make their first playoff appearance in a decade after a strong finish to the season. The series also marks a return to the postseason for Tigers' manager A.J. Hinch, who previously led the Astros to a World Series win in 2017. In their last meeting, the Tigers took an early 3-0 lead against Valdez, who struggled but was eventually replaced by Hector Neris. Meanwhile, the Cleveland Guardians' season finale against the Astros was canceled due to rain, preventing José Ramírez from attempting to join the 40-40 club.