Ex-Astros manager A.J. Hinch back in playoffs with Tigers to face former team in AL Wild Card Series
HOUSTON (AP) – 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 (18-4, 2.39 ERA) opposes fellow left-hander Framber Valdez (15-7, 2.91) in the opener.
Hinch, who has managed the Tigers since 2021, insists this series is not about his redemption.
“I´m not proud of the story to get here,” Hinch said Monday before the Tigers worked out at Minute Maid Park. “I´ve owned up to that and I will continue to do that. I´m very sorry for how it all went down. But all I had was the next opportunity to try to make it better and try to do my part to make this happen as fast as possible for the Detroit Tigers.”
“And that group that´s in the clubhouse over there waiting to go work out has worked tirelessly to get to feel this feeling,” he continued.
