Radio call of Andy Ibáñez's heroics vs Astros will get Tigers fans amped for ALDS

When it comes to October baseball, a few days can feel like an eternity. Such is the case for Detroit Tigers fans, who have been (im)patiently waiting since Wednesday's Wild Card Series-clinching victory for the American League Division Series to kick off Saturday against the Cleveland Guardians.

In case the extra day spent waiting for the next round to start has dampened the excitement around Tigers baseball (though it's frankly difficult to imagine how that could be possible right now), Detroit fans need look no further than Dan Dickerson's radio call of Andy Ibáñez's game-winning hit Wednesday to get fired up again.

The excitement was palpable in Dickerson's voice as he called Ibáñez's bases-clearing double that scored three runs to give the Tigers a 5-2 lead over the Houston Astros in the eighth inning of Game 2.

According to Sarah Langs of MLB.com, Ibáñez recorded the first go-ahead pinch-hit base knock in the eighth inning or later in Tigers postseason history. At 31 years old, Ibáñez is an elder statesman on this young Tigers roster. He hit .241 during the regular season with five home runs and 32 RBI in 224 at-bats. He's a lifetime .256 hitter over four seasons with the Tigers and Texas Rangers, and it's fitting that he got to play the hero Wednesday and embody the Tigers' "gritty" identity.

Tigers, Guardians set to face off in ALDS Game 1 Saturday in Cleveland

The Tigers will now move onto the ALDS, where they will take on a familiar foe in the AL Central rival Guardians. First pitch for Game 1 is set for 1:08 p.m. ET at Progressive Field in Cleveland on Saturday. The Tigers are once again the underdogs in this series, but that's been the story throughout their magical run that began in mid-August, when they had a 0.2% chance of making the playoffs.

The series will be televised nationally on TBS, and of course, Detroit fans can hear more electrifying radio calls from Dickerson and Bobby Scales on 97.1 The Ticket in what could be the next chapter of a legendary run.

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