The Detroit Tigers were the hottest team in the major leagues over the final month-and-a-half of the regular season, and their miracle run continued on Tuesday afternoon.
They took Game 1 of their wild-card series against the Houston Astros by a 3-1 margin, moving to within one game of a trip to the American League Divisional Series. Here are three takeaways from their win:
1. When a team is hot, it’s hot
If recent playoff showings have indicated anything, it’s that success sometimes comes down to simply being hot at the right time. The Philadelphia Phillies proved that two years ago and the Arizona Diamondbacks did so last year.
Are the Tigers next?
Not only have they been white hot down the stretch, they managed to dance through the rain drops in the ninth inning on Tuesday to hold off a late Astros rally.
They also had a little batted-ball luck on their side.
With the Tigers clinging to a two-run lead, the Astros were able to load the bases and with two outs and two strikes, Jason Heyward hit a line drive about as hard as he could possibly hit a ball. The only problem for the Astros? He hit it right at first basemen Spencer Torkelson for the third out.