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HOUSTON — A.J. Hinch led Houston to a championship in 2017, and the last time he managed a postseason game it was the Astros' loss in Game 7 of the 2019 World Series. The following January he was suspended for a year by Major League Baseball and fired the same day for his role in Houston's sign-stealing scandal. Hinch returns to the playoffs Tuesday with the Detroit Tigers in their first postseason appearance in a decade when they face the AL West champion Astros in Game 1 of a best-of-three Wild Card Series. Detroit ace Tarik Skubal opposes fellow left-hander Framber Valdez in the opener. Hinch, who has managed the Tigers since 2021, insists this series is not about his redemption.
