The Unbreakable Tigers are all in and now anything is possible

Houston – The Tigers carry on in their own way, in the only way they know how, in the most remarkable way possible. Call it chaos, character, clutch. Pick a description, pick a player, the Tigers use them all.

They just arrived in Houston and swept away a venerable playoff team, out with the old and in with the new. They achieved this by mixing and combining and finally pureeing. After another dramatic game and another champagne-soaked clubhouse, the Tigers ousted the Astros and advanced to the ALDS.

They've done it with the perfect player in the perfect spot, a reserve whose job it is to deliver in an emergency. And sure enough, Andy Ibanez did, hitting a bases-loaded, two-out double in the eighth inning to break a tie and give the Tigers a 5-2 win over the Astros Wednesday and a 2-0 victory in the series. Ibanez did it against one of the best players in baseball, Josh Hader. If you want even more incredulity, consider this: Hader's $19 million annual salary is more than the Tigers' entire 26-man playoff roster.

It's all part of the Tigers' wonderfully inexplicable story as they prepare to host the Guardians in Detroit on Wednesday and Thursday. They weren't supposed to make the playoffs and beat the legendary Astros. It was the postseason debut for all but one Tiger player, and they showcased their unconventional style. Their unpredictability has officially become predictable, and if they weren't dangerous before, they certainly are now.

They travel to Cleveland on Saturday to open the best-of-five ALDS, and the way they've played the last two months, nothing seems insurmountable. Manager AJ Hinch continues to utilize his entire roster, moving players from the bench to the bullpen and causing what he calls “pitching chaos.”

If the Tigers keep this up, they'll have to stock up on champagne and beer. Oh, and plastic sheeting to protect the lockers from bubbles. As the players jumped around randomly after the game, shouting and splashing each other, Hinch stood alone to the side and watched with a satisfied smile.

“It keeps getting better; It never gets boring,” he said. “This team is now playoff proven. I think we passed a pretty good test in this series. We still have more games to play, but I love the way we play until the end.”

More: Tigers-Astros: Here's complete coverage of the AL Wild Card Series

It's not really a surprise when it's analyzed and calculated from the first pitch. The Tigers have a starter, Tarik Skubal, and a number of “openers” who can step in at any time. Tyler Holton started this game and walked after one inning for Brenan Hanifee, who walked after two innings for Brant Hurter, who walked after two innings for Beau Brieske.

“Never out”

The Tigers took a 1-0 lead thanks to a home run from Parker Meadows. In playoff baseball, the path between delirium and catastrophe isn't far, and the Tigers got a sobering dose of it. Hinch used rookie Jackson Jobe just days after his major league debut. Why? Well, because Jobe is on the roster, and if you're on it, you're on it.

Jobe showed some nerve, striking out the first batter he faced and then giving up a single. He wasn't hit hard, but the Astros loaded the bases and then scored to first on a grounder that Spencer Torkelson scooped and missed at the plate. Moments later, Jose Altuve hit a foul sacrifice fly to right, and Houston took its first lead of the series, 2-1. The Astros had won 47 straight playoff games when taking a lead in the eighth inning or later in the postseason for the eighth straight time.

Disaster, right? Ha. Your first day seeing the Tigers?

They immediately loaded the bases in the eighth and scored on a wild pitch. Hader came in to end the game, but Hinch still had an ace in play. He gave Ibanez a pinch hit to Zach McKinstry, who already had a hit, because that was what the plan called for. As a right-handed hitter, Ibanez is one of the best in baseball in these situations, hitting .292 with an OPS of .802 against lefties. With the score 1-2, he launched the ball down the left field line to clear the bases in front of 40,824 roaring spectators at Minute Maid Park.

The Tigers erupted, from the dugout to the bullpen, not because they were surprised, but because they were thrilled.

“We know we’ll never get out,” said Torkelson, who left Hader to load the bases. “And Andy Ibanez, wow. Incredible. Death, taxes and Andy Ibanez getting hit by a lefty, that’s what he’s all about.”

Ibanez paced the dugout from the second inning, knowing he could be called on at any time. He had had problems in September, but that was a different month and a different time of year. Hinch knows October baseball well, having led the Astros to the 2017 World Series championship before being fired and ending up in Detroit.

You, not him

Hinch doesn't talk about him because that would contradict the Tigers' mentality. It's about them all, which is why Ibanez was sent out for the biggest attack in the Tigers' recent history.

“He was locked up, and for those who aren’t on our team, that’s no coincidence,” Hinch said. “He's literally standing on the railing with his helmet and he doesn't even know if we're going to get to his hitting point. I love this child. I love how well prepared he is and I love that he has kept the mentality that he is going to deliver big attacks.”

It's easier for players to keep their heads in the game knowing that Hinch will almost certainly use them at some point. So it won't be surprising if Brieske comes in and does his job for the second game in a row. It's no surprise if lefty Sean Guenther replaces Jobe in the seventh game and ends the game, and it's no surprise if Will Vest closes out the ninth.

“I think everyone has adopted that mentality, you can see the guys cheering each other on,” said Brieske, who pushed his fastball to over 100 mph in this series. “There is absolutely no stopping. We feel like we've been playing playoff baseball the last two months. We don't have much experience, but we're starting to gain it. We play with confidence, play freely and have fun.”

It can be anyone on any given day, making a team unpredictable and unwavering. No single star is required to lead, so the Tigers distribute the pressure and tasks. My goodness, their starting rotation is basically: Skubal, TBD, TBD, TBD, TBD, repeat.

If there is a secret to this unprecedented, unorthodox run, this is it.

“The buy-in isn’t free,” Hinch said. “You have to make the bigger goal clear to the players. You have to make it clear to the players how we can maximize their strengths. You have to have players who will give something up so that someone else can get a chance. If you can change the psyche and maybe take out the pride and ego, anything is possible.”

Maybe for the first time since this crazy run began, anything truly seems possible. The Tigers' erratic nature may anger others in baseball, and many watch with disbelief. Back in Detroit, where Comerica Park comes back to life next week, it's getting easier to see.

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@bobwojnowski

Chris McCosky asks Andy Ibáñez about his three-run double in the eighth inning.

“Never out”

You, not him

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