HOUSTON — Andy Ibanez hit a tiebreaking three-run double in Detroit’s four-run eighth inning, and the Tigers swept the Houston Astros with a 5-2 victory in Game 2 of their AL Wild Card Series on Wednesday.
Parker Meadows homered as Detroit ended Houston’s run of seven consecutive appearances in the AL Championship Series. It was a sweet moment for Tigers manager A.J. Hinch, who led Houston to a championship in 2017 and was fired in the aftermath of the Astros’ sign-stealing scandal.
The Tigers entered Wednesday 1-22 in the postseason since 2000 when trailing in the eighth inning or later. Ibanez became the first player in Tigers history with a pinch-hit, go-ahead hit in the postseason.
“We’ve been doing this all year, and he was really ready,” Hinch said of Ibanez.
It was Detroit’s first postseason series victory since the 2013 AL Division Series, which they won in five games vs. the Athletics.
Next up for the wild-card Tigers is a trip to Cleveland to take on the AL Central champions in a best-of-five AL Division Series. Game 1 is on Saturday.
Kerry Carpenter sparked Detroit’s eighth-inning rally with a one-out single off Ryan Pressly (0-1), who converted his first 14 postseason save opportunities. Carpenter advanced to third on a single by Matt Vierling and scored on a wild pitch, tying it at 2.
Pressly departed after Colt Keith reached on a two-out walk, and closer Josh Hader walked Spencer Torkelson to load the bases.
Hinch then sent Ibáñez up to hit for Zach McKinstry, and Ibanez lined a 1-2 sinker into the corner in left for a 5-2 lead.
Hader, who signed a $95 million, five-year contract with Houston in January, allowed three hits and walked two in 1 1/3 innings.
It was the Astros’ first time being swept in a postseason series since 2005 World Series against the White Sox, a streak of 21 straight postseason series. It also snapped a seven-season streak making the LCS, the second-longest run since the round began in 1969.
Information from ESPN Research and The Associated Press was used in this report.