Tigers to open playoffs on the road against the Cleveland Guardians

Tigers to open playoffs on the road against the Cleveland Guardians

>> FOX TWO SPORTSWORKS STARTS NOW. AND GOOD EVENING, EVERYBODY. AND WELCOME TO THE WORKS COMING UP TONIGHT. EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO GET UP TO DATE ON THE WORLD OF SPORTS. BOYS ARE IN THE HOUSE TONY G. JOHN NEO IS HERE AS WELL. WE GOT A LOT TO TALK ABOUT. RYDER CUP CAME TO A CLOSE. THE U.S. WOKE UP. [LAUGHTER] IT WAS REALLY COOL TO SEE. >> JUST IN TIME. >> TOO LATE. YEAH. THEY MISSED CLASS. THE EXAM WAS OVER. THE FINAL WEEK. THE NFL ACTION, INCLUDING THE LIONS PICKING UP THEIR THIRD CONSECUTIVE WIN. WE’LL GO BACK TO FORD FIELD AND RECAP THINGS. BASEBALL PLAYOFFS ARE NOW SET. BUT MAN IT WAS A JUMBLED MESS OF UNCERTAINTY UNTIL TODAY WHICH MARKED THE FINAL DAY OF THE REGULAR SEASON. TIGERS KNEW THEY WERE IN. WHAT THEY DIDN’T KNOW IS THAT THEY WERE GOING INTO CENTRAL DIVISION CHAMPIONS OR A WILD CARD ENTRY, SO THEY DIDN’T KNOW IF THEY’D OPEN A COMERICA PARK OR IF THEY HAD TO HIT THE ROAD. TORONTO, CLEVELAND, NEW YORK ALL POSSIBLE. FIRST THINGS FIRST FACING THE RED SOX. GAME 162 BOSTON GRABBED AN EARLY ONE ZERO LEAD, BUT THE TIGERS GOT IT GOING TO THE FOURTH. TWO ON JAVY BAEZ. YOU CAN TAKE THEM OFF. LAUNCHED ONE OVER THE GREEN MONSTER IN LEFT THREE. RUN SHOT 12TH FOR HIM. THREE ONE TIGERS BOSTON CAME RIGHT BACK THOUGH. DAVID HAMILTON TAKING CHRIS PADDACK DEEP TO RIGHT AND GONE. TWO RUN SHOT. TIED IT AT THREE. LATER IN THE INNING BOSTON GRABBED THE LEAD. JARREN DURAN RIGHT HERE. DOUBLES OFF THE MONSTER. ANOTHER RUN SCORED FOUR THREE BOSTON. TIGERS DID HAVE THEIR CHANCES TO REGAIN THE LEAD. SEVENTH INNING TWO ON NOBODY OUT JAKE RODGERS AT THE PLATE. IT’S GOING TO GROUND INTO A543 DOUBLE PLAY. ZACH MCKINSTRY WITH A COUPLE ON GROUNDS OUT WEAKLY TO FIRST BASE. AND THAT WOULD BE THE END OF THE INNING. IT WAS ONE LAST CHANCE FOR THE TIGERS AFTER THIS ONE. THEY STILL HAD TIME. PARKER MEADOWS AT THE DISH IN THE NINTH. FLY BALL ISN’T GOING TO GET IT DONE. TIGERS FALL TO THE SEASON FINALE THAT GUARANTEED THAT THEY WOULD FINISH SECOND IN THE DIVISION FOUR THREE THE FINAL. NOW IT’S OFF TO CLEVELAND FOR THE WILD CARD ROUND OF THE PLAYOFFS BEGINNING ON TUESDAY. >> THAT’S A THREE GAME SERIES, YOU KNOW, AND OBVIOUSLY THAT’S KIND OF THE REALITY OF WHAT IT IS. AND AND WITH EVERYTHING AT STAKE AND AGAINST A TEAM THAT YOU KNOW WELL. SO I THINK, YOU KNOW, WE’LL MAKE SURE OUR GUYS DON’T TAKE FOR GRANTED THAT WE KNOW THEM WELL. I THINK THE BIGGEST, THE BIGGEST CONCERN WHEN YOU PLAY A DIVISION OPPONENT IS FAMILIARITY CAN BE A BLESSING OR A CURSE, DEPENDING ON HOW YOU LOOK AT IT, FROM BEING A LITTLE BIT TOO COMFORTABLE. SO WE’RE GOING TO HAVE TO TURN OVER EVERY ROCK AND MAKE SURE WE’RE PREPARED, AND OUR GUYS WILL BE READY. >> ALL RIGHT. LET’S TALK ABOUT IT. THERE’S THE SCHEDULE THAT YOU CAN SEE. GAME ONE TUESDAY 108 FOR THE FIRST PITCH. GAME TWO WEDNESDAY 108 FOR THE FIRST PITCH. GAME THREE THURSDAY SHOULD BE 108, BUT IT DEPENDS ON HOW MANY THE SERIES ARE STILL GOING ON AND IF THEY EVEN HAVE TO PLAY A GAME THREE, WE’LL HAVE TO WAIT AND SEE. ALL GAMES WILL BE PLAYED IN CLEVELAND. OFFICIAL INTRODUCTIONS TONY 97 ONE THE TICKET JOHN NEO FROM THE DETROIT NEWS I DON’T KNOW WHERE DO YOU START WITH THIS THING? >> WELL. >> I MEAN YES, PLAYOFFS OR SEVEN AND 17 IN SEPTEMBER, THE WORST RECORD EVER FOR A TEAM THAT QUALIFIED FOR THE POSTSEASON. TONY YOU CHOOSE. >> IT’S IT’S DISGUSTING WHAT HAPPENED TO THEM. BUT I’M NOT GOING TO SIT THERE AND HOPE THAT THEY LOSE. WE SAW WHAT HAPPENED LAST YEAR WHEN THEY WENT GOT HOT, WENT INTO HOUSTON AND WON TWO GAMES. OBVIOUSLY THEY’VE HAD TROUBLE WITH CLEVELAND, BUT THEY’RE ALL CLOSE GAMES. THEY CAN WIN. BUT THE BIG PICTURE JOHN DAN IS THIS WAS ONE OF THE BIGGEST COLLAPSES I’VE EVER SEEN IN MY LIFE. >> 15.5 WAS THE BIGGEST FOR A TEAM TO CATCH UP AND OVERCOME A DEFICIT 11 GAMES IN SEPTEMBER. IT’S ALMOST STUNNING. >> IT IS. >> TO THINK OF WHERE THEY WERE 12 DAYS AGO. >> AND TO THINK OF ALL THE THINGS THAT THEY GAVE UP IN THE PROCESS. YES, THEY GOT INTO THE PLAYOFFS, BUT THEY GAVE UP THE BYE. THAT SEEMED REALLY IMPORTANT FOR OBVIOUS REASONS. FOR MOST OF AUGUST AND SEPTEMBER, THEY GAVE UP HOME FIELD AND TODAY. >> THEY CAN’T GIVE IT. >> UP EASILY LIKE THEY GAVE IT UP A LITTLE TOO EASILY, DIDN’T THEY? >> I MEAN, WELL. >> I MEAN, STARTING LAST NIGHT AND I GET IT, I GET IT. >> THEY WEREN’T GOING TO PITCH SKUBAL, BUT THERE WAS. >> NO GREEN. >> NO NO DINGLER, NO TOURISM. >> AND THE SAME CLEVELAND WAS APPROACHING IT SIMILARLY WHERE THEY WERE, AND BOTH TEAMS CELEBRATED WITH CHAMPAGNE SWAN PLAYS. YEAH. THE START. I’M STARTING PITCHING. YEAH. YOU’RE LINING UP. YOU’RE PITCHING FOR THE SERIES OBVIOUSLY. BUT. AND THEY BOTH CELEBRATED WITH BEER AND CHAMPAGNE LAST NIGHT SO WE CAN YOU KNOW, I UNDERSTAND WHY PEOPLE WERE OFFENDED BY THAT. BUT IT’S WHAT YOU DO WHEN YOU MAKE THE PLAYOFFS. YEAH. BUT YEAH, TODAY THEY MANAGED IT LIKE THEY DIDN’T CARE ABOUT THIS GAME TODAY. AND MAYBE THEY DIDN’T I DON’T KNOW, MAYBE THEY DON’T. MAYBE THEY REALLY DIDN’T WANT TO GO ANYWHERE OTHER THAN CLEVELAND. >> I GUESS I WOULD ASK AND LOOK CLEVELAND WON. SO I GUESS MAYBE IN THE LONG RUN. >> IT DIDN’T MATTER. >> BUT I MEAN, IS IT REALLY THAT TAXING FOR THOSE GUYS TO PLAY ONE MORE GAME AND YOU GOT A DAY OFF TOMORROW? >> NO. ESPECIALLY SINCE THEY HAD A DAY OFF ON SATURDAY, MOST OF THEM BECAUSE THEY WERE CELEBRATING MAKING THE PLAYOFFS. AND JOHN MENTIONED, IN FACT, THEY GAVE UP SO MANY THINGS, BUT THEY DIDN’T GIVE UP ANY PROSPECTS. >> AND I’LL SAY THIS, I DON’T KNOW WHAT THEY WERE DEALING WITH BECAUSE. AJ HINCH ALLUDED TO, SOME GUYS MIGHT BE DEALING WITH SOMETHING PHYSICALLY. I MEAN, THIS. >> IS THIS. >> IS EASY TO SIT ON THE. >> SIDELINES AND PICK APART AND BEYOND PHYSICALLY, MENTALLY CERTAINLY THEY WERE ALL DEALING WITH SOMETHING MENTALLY. THE RILEY GREEN’S ALL THOSE GUYS THAT WERE IN THE SKIDS DOWN THE STRETCH. YEAH. >> LET’S GET TO THAT MENTAL THING. YEAH I MEAN THEY’VE BASICALLY FALLEN APART. AND I KNOW SCOTT HARRIS, AS YOU WERE JUST ALLUDING TO, IS TAKING A LOT OF HEAT FOR WHAT HE DID NOT DO AT THE TRADE DEADLINE. AND THESE ARE THESE CAN BE SEPARATE CONVERSATIONS AND BOTH CAN BE TRUE. THEIR PLAYERS DIDN’T DELIVER. THEIR OFFENSE HAS DISAPPEARED IN SEPTEMBER COINCIDING WITH THIS SLIDE. >> CORRECT. I MEAN LOOK SCOTT HARRIS YOU’RE RIGHT. DIFFERENT CONVERSATION. HE MESSED UP. IF HE WOULD HAVE GOTTEN A BAT WOULD SUAREZ DID HAVE WHAT, 910 HOMERUNS. BUT HE HIT LIKE 180 OR WHATEVER. SO THAT’S THE ONE EVERYBODY WANTED. THE PROBLEM IS THEY JUST IT IS IT’S MENTAL. THEIR BEST ISN’T SCOTT HARRIS THEIR BEST PLAYERS, THEIR GUY. THEY WERE SO HAPPY THAT THEY HAD ALL THOSE ALL STARS AND THOSE ALL STARS DID NOTHING. THE LAST MONTH, SIX WEEKS FROM TORRES TO RILEY GREEN. GO DOWN THE LINE MCKINSTRY. >> SEE THOSE GUYS COME UP WITH RUNNERS IN SCORING POSITION AND NOTHING WOULD HAPPEN. AND YOU TAKE YOUR CUE FROM YOUR STARS. THEY LEAD THE WAY. HITTING IS CONTAGIOUS. CHOOSE YOUR CLICHE, WHATEVER YOU WANT IT TO BE. AND THEY JUST DIDN’T DELIVER. SO I MEAN, AGAIN, BOTH THINGS CAN. >> BE ABSOLUTELY TRUE. ALL THE MORE REASON THEN PROBABLY SHOULD TRY TO GET HOME FIELD TODAY, SHOULDN’T YOU? I MEAN, THAT’S THE THING. YOU’RE FACING CLEVELAND ONE WAY OR THE OTHER. YOU THINK GOING INTO TODAY, BUT DON’T. WOULDN’T YOU RATHER BE AT HOME AT COMERICA PARK THAN IN CLEVELAND, WHERE BAD THINGS HAVE HAPPENED TO YOU AGAINST THIS TEAM IN THE PLAYOFFS? AND, YOU KNOW, THAT’S THE PART I DO QUESTION. AND LOOK, AGAIN, LIKE YOU SAID, WE DON’T KNOW WHAT’S GOING ON BEHIND THE SCENES WITH SOME OF THOSE GUYS, BUT I DON’T KNOW. HOW ABOUT A LITTLE EFFORT I GUESS. >> SO DO WE BELIEVE IN FRESH STARTS? DO WE BELIEVE IN AS OF TUESDAY, EVERYBODY IS ZERO AND ZERO. AND WHAT YOU DID IN SEPTEMBER DOESN’T NECESSARILY MATTER. AND YOU DO HAVE TARIK SKUBAL LINED UP TO START. >> HOPEFULLY HE WON’T TRY TO BE A LONG SNAPPER IN THIS GAME. AND HAVE A LITTLE MENTAL BREAKDOWN WITH THE BALK WHATEVER THAT HE’S HE’S HIMSELF BECAUSE HE EXCEPT FOR THAT HE PITCHED REALLY WELL. HE’S BEEN PITCHING GREAT. HE’S BEATEN THEM BEFORE IN BIG SITUATIONS. HE’S LOST TO THEM BEFORE. >> LOST TO HIM IN. >> A BIG. >> I MEAN, TO BE HONEST, THAT’S THE THING YOU HAVE. I FEEL LIKE I HAVE THE MOST BELIEF IN GOING INTO THIS SERIES IS OBVIOUSLY TARIK SKUBAL, BUT REALLY THE STARTING PITCHING BECAUSE CASEY MYEYE WE’VE SEEN PITCHED LIKE A GUY, HE WOULDN’T MIND. AND SO, I MEAN, THAT’S TO ME THE STRENGTH GOING INTO THE SERIES IS, YES, YOU DO HAVE YOUR PITCHING LINED UP AND THE STARTING PITCHING AND THEN JUST CROSS YOUR FINGERS. YEAH. WITH THE BULLPEN. >> RILEY GREEN OR ONE OF THESE OTHER GUYS THAT HAVE STRUGGLED. I MEAN, YOU KNOW, WHETHER IT’S TALK OR IT’S TORRES OR IT’S CARPENTER OR WHOEVER IT IS, YOU HAVE A CHANCE TO REWRITE MUCH OF WHAT HAS BEEN SAID DURING THIS SEASON, BECAUSE IF YOU GO OUT WITH A WHIMPER, MAN, IT’S GOING TO BE A ROUGH OFFSEASON. THERE’S GOING TO BE A LOT OF QUESTIONS ASKED ABOUT THIS TEAM. AND I KNOW THEY’RE YOUNG, BUT THEY WERE IN POSITION AND IT’S VERY DIFFICULT TO WRAP YOUR ARMS AROUND A TEAM THAT HAD THE BEST RECORD IN BASEBALL AND THE BEST RECORD IN THE AMERICAN LEAGUE, WHEN THEY GAVE UP THE BEST RECORD IN BASEBALL FOR A MINUTE AND THEN JUST FELL APART AT THE END. AND IT’S ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO KNOW WHAT TO EXPECT OVER THE NEXT THREE DAYS. >> WHICH MAKES IT FUN. >> YES, AND I’M USUALLY SOMEWHAT ON THE NEGATIVE SIDE. I’LL GIVE YOU A LITTLE POSITIVE THING. [LAUGHTER] >> I’VE MET YOU. >> JAVY. BAEZ HAD A #### OF. >> A WEEK. I KNOW YOU DID. >> ON THE FIELD, HIT A HOME RUN. TWO BIG HITS THE OTHER NIGHT. >> DIVING CATCH, DIVING. >> CATCH. >> ESSENTIALLY SAVED THEM YESTERDAY. YEAH, SAVED. >> SAVED THIS. HOUSTON ENDED UP WINNING THE SAME RECORD AS HOUSTON. RIGHT. THAT ONE. NOTHING WALK OFF. >> AND MAYBE THOSE GUYS MAYBE SOME OF THOSE VETERANS THAT YES DEFINITELY TAILED OFF IN THE SECOND HALF. TORRES. BAEZ MAYBE SOME OF THOSE GUYS NOW, YOU KNOW, GIVE YOU A LIFT HERE WITH THOSE YOUNG GUYS STRUGGLING. >> WE HOPE SOME OF THEM HAVE TWO DAYS TO EXHALE. AND THEN THEY COME BACK ON TUESDAY. I MEAN WE’LL SEE WHAT HAPPENS. I MEAN. >> IT’S OR MAYBE IT’S JIMMY JONES. MAYBE JIMMY JONES JUST KEEPS GOING ALL THE WAY THROUGH. >> I MEAN, LOOK, THIS IS IT’S JUST IT’S REALLY A STRANGE POSITION TO BE IN BECAUSE OF. >> WHAT’S HARD TO FEEL CONFIDENT. >> WHAT’S IN. >> FRONT OF. IT’S HARD TO FEEL CONFIDENT IN THEM. AND TO BE HONEST, AS WE POINTED OUT IN INNUMERABLE WAYS, IT’S HARD FOR THEM TO BE CONFIDENT. >> BUT IT’S ALSO REALLY HARD TO DISMISS. THEM BECAUSE ANYTHING CAN HAPPEN. AND TO BE HONEST, AS GOOD AS THEY’VE PLAYED. >> AND THIS DOESN’T. >> SCARE THE HECK. >> OUT OF YOU.

After a historic collapse that saw the Guardians fight back from 15.5 games back to win the AL Central Division, the team they chased down will come to town to open the playoffs. The Tigers and Guardians will play a best of three Wild Card round beginning Tuesday.