Pinch-hitter Andy Ibanez smacked a bases-clearing, two-out double down the left-field line off Astros closer Josh Hader, and the Tigers swept the favored Astros with a 5-2 victory Wednesday in Game 2 of the American League wild-card series at Minute Maid Park.
The Tigers advance to the best-of-five ALDS vs. the No. 2 seed Cleveland Guardians. Game 1 is Saturday in Cleveland (1:08 p.m., TBS).
The Tigers will host Game 3 next Wednesday, and, if necessary, Game 4 a day later.
Kyle Higashioka’s solo home run started a five-run rally against Max Fried with two outs in the second inning, and the San Diego Padres held on to sweep the Atlanta Braves with a 5-4 win in Game 2 of their NL Wild Card Series.
Manny Machado added a two-run double with the bases loaded and Jackson Merrill followed with a two-run triple.
The Padres head up Interstate 5 to face Shohei Ohtani and the NL West rival and top-seeded Los Angeles Dodgers in a National League Division Series starting Saturday night. San Diego eliminated the 111-win Dodgers in a 2022 NLDS.
Bobby Witt Jr. beat out an infield single to drive in the go-ahead run and send the Kansas City Royals into the American League Division Series with a 2-1 victory over the Baltimore Orioles on Wednesday for a two-game sweep of their AL Wild Card Series.
Witt is the second player age 24 or younger to have the game-winning RBI in each of his team’s first two games of a postseason since RBI became an official statistic in 1920, joining Jimmie Foxx in 1929.
Kansas City advanced to face the AL East champion New York Yankees. Game 1 is Saturday in the Bronx.
