A.J. Hinch, who guided the Houston Astros to a championship in 2017, last managed a postseason game in Game 7 of the 2019 World Series. However, in January 2020, Major League Baseball suspended him for a year, and he was fired on the same day due to his involvement in Houston’s sign-stealing scandal.
Now, Hinch is back in the playoffs with the Detroit Tigers, leading them to their first postseason appearance in a decade. On Tuesday, the Tigers will face the AL West champion Astros in Game 1 of a best-of-three Wild Card Series. Detroit’s ace, Tarik Skubal (18-4, 2.39 ERA), will square off against Houston’s left-hander Framber Valdez (15-7, 2.91 ERA) in the opener.
Since taking over as the Tigers’ manager in 2021, Hinch has stressed that this series isn’t about his personal redemption. “I’m not proud of how things unfolded, and I’ve taken responsibility,” Hinch said on Monday before the team’s practice at Minute Maid Park. “I regret what happened, but my focus now is on making things right and helping the Tigers succeed.”
He also praised his team’s efforts, noting how hard they’ve worked to get to this point. The Tigers were 10 games out of a wild card spot as of August 10, but an impressive 31-13 finish secured their first playoff berth since 2014.
Detroit outfielder Riley Greene feels their journey since August has prepared them for the postseason. “It feels like we’ve been in playoff mode for a while,” he said. “We’re young and hungry, and we’re doing everything we can to win.”
Meanwhile, the Astros, who have been playoff regulars for the past eight years, also had a challenging season, overcoming a 7-19 start to capture their fourth straight AL West title.
