Tigers vs Astros Preview: Big pitching duel in Week 64

The Tigers came out swinging yesterday and dominated the Astros 9-3 at Daikin Park. Keith was an absolute menace—he smacked two home rockets that flew over the right field wall. McGonigle, Torkelson, and Dingler all went deep too. The ball was flying everywhere for Detroit. Hunter Vázquez's passed balls hurt Houston's chances. The Tigers' bats refused to quit, pounding pitch after pitch into the gap. This Detroit lineup proved why they're dangerous. Now they need to keep this momentum rolling into game two.

Hunter Brown gets the ball for Houston on Wednesday after missing time with a shoulder injury. The young right-hander is finally healthy and ready to go. His stuff was nasty early this season before he got hurt—he struck out 17 batters and gave up just one run across his first two starts. Brown will face a Tigers lineup that just exploded for nine runs. Detroit's hitters have confidence right now. This is a huge test for Brown's comeback. Can he handle a hot Detroit team? The Astros need him to throw strikes and keep the Tigers off balance.

Framber Valdez spent eight seasons dominating batters for the Astros before signing with Detroit this offseason. Now the star pitcher returns to Houston to face his former teammates. Valdez is a two-time All-Star and brings championship experience to the Tigers' rotation. He's anchoring the staff alongside Tariq Skubal, giving Detroit one of baseball's best pitching combinations. The Astros know exactly how tough Valdez can be—they watched him pitch for them for years. This is a story moment. The pitcher coming home to prove something. Detroit's powerful rotation is a weapon Houston must respect.