SB Nation • 6 min read

Final Series Preview of the Year: Detroit Tigers vs Boston Red Sox

With a magic number of one entering play on Thursday the Red Sox, well, you know. They didn’t play very well. After a brief surge of excitement to win the first two they went back to middling pitching

and quiet bats. The Astros won. The Tigers won. And that coveted playoff spot remained unclaimed.

Boston needs just one win to make it to October. Or a loss by the Astros to the Angels. And the Tigers stand in their way. The Astros need to win out while the Red Sox lose out in order to keep Boston from October. Of course 2011, 1978, etc. etc. etc. Pepperidge Farm remembers.

Detoit won’t make it easy: Boston sends two of the more inexperienced pitchers against the Tigers who are ready to close the series with the ace and (probable) Cy Young award winner Tarik Skubal.

Casey Mize is having a solid year for Detroit. He struggled in July and August before rebounding in September with a 3.68 ERA. Over his last five starts though he’s been a 5.0 inning guy, more or less, with 2 or 3 runs allowed. He has not faced the Red Sox this year. Two or three runs could do it though! He opposes Kyle Harrison who is coming off a nice start agains the Tampa Bay Rays. Across his two appearances with the Red Sox he’s tossed 9.0 innings of 1 run ball with a 7:2 K:BB.

The Tigers don’t have a listed starter for Saturday. And they’re probably hoping they don’t need Skubal on Sunday. Like the Red Sox with Crochet, aka the TBD Sunday. Not sure how many games the Sox win in the Wild Card if Crochet isn’t available. Early has has gone 5.0, 5.1, and 4.0 innings. He’s struck out 11, 7, and 4. He’s as solid as you can expect for a rookie making his debut in a playoff push.

If the Red Sox have already lost two and the Astros won two, they will face Tarik Skubal with the season on the line. They will certainly bring the other guy in the running for the AL Cy Young to oppose him. The Guardians made Skubal look silly in his last start by bunting and just poking the ball around. So there’s one strategy.

By the Power of Bellhorn, just win Friday night and get this over with.