Houston Astros’ postseason run in jeopardy early after Detroit Tigers defeat AL West champs in Wild Card Series Game 1 [Video]

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — The Houston Astros are entering rare territory – a postseason elimination game before the American League Championship Series.

On Tuesday, a packed Minute Maid Park crowd watched the Detroit Tigers jump on Houston’s starting pitcher Framber Valdez early with a three-run second inning to propel the final AL playoff entrant to a Wild Card Series Game 1 win.

In contrast, the Tigers’ Tarik Skubal tamed Astros batters, limiting them to four hits, none of them for extra bases, across six innings.

The bats woke up when Yordan Alvarez, Alex Bregman, and Yainer Diaz registered the first three hits of the ninth inning while down by three runs. Houston plated the first run of their afternoon at that time, but it was too little, too late. With bases loaded and two outs, Jason Heyward lined out to Spencer Torkelson to end the game. The Astros drop Game 1, 3-1.

The outing …