Ding dong, the Astros are gone.
The Tigers knocked off the Yankees’ biggest postseason thorn, the Astros, on Wednesday, sweeping Houston out of the playoffs in Game 2 of the American League Wild Card Series.
Detroit broke open the ballgame with a four-run eighth inning that lifted the Tigers to a 5-2 win.
They now advance to face the Guardians in the ALDS.
The Astros’ defeat in the wild-card round makes this postseason the first time since 2016 that the ballclub will not appear in the ALCS.
Yankees fans surely rejoiced over the result after Houston has proven to be a regular Yankee-killer in the postseason.
Dating back to 2015, the Yankees have made the playoffs six times and have been bounced from the postseason by the Astros in four of those years.
To add to the wild narrative surrounding the Tigers, who have become the little engine that could late in the season, manager A.J. Hinch was at the helm in Houston — and the sign-stealing 2017 World Series team — before taking the Tigers job in 2020.
Down 2-1 entering the top of the eighth, two Tigers batters reached base with one out before Astros reliever Ryan Pressly threw a wild pitch, allowing a run to score to tie the game at two.
Andy Ibáñez then hit a sharp line drive to left field, driving in three runs, to put the Tigers ahead for good.
It was the first go-ahead pinch-hit in the eighth inning or later in Tigers postseason history, according to Sarah Langs.
“I’m not sure who, but somebody let the Tigers get hot!” Hinch said during the postgame celebration.
The Tigers were 10 games out of a playoff spot on Aug. 11, but went 33-13 down the stretch.
They’re now three wins from an ALCS trip.