It’s win or go home for the Detroit Tigers Friday night. Enough said.
Well, almost enough said.
Michigan Public sports commentator John U. Bacon joined Morning Edition host Doug Tribou to discuss the Tigers' Game 5 American League Division Series matchup against Seattle. They also discussed the upcoming college football schedule, the Lions' next opponent, and more from the world of sports.
Football and baseball this weekend:
Detroit Tigers at Seattle Mariners - ALDS Gm. 5 -
Fri., 8:08 p.m.
Michigan at USC - Sat., 7:30 p.m.
UCLA at Michigan State - Sat., Noon
Detroit Lions at Kansas City Chiefs - Sun., 8:20 p.m.
Doug Tribou: The Tigers and the Mariners are tied at two games apiece in their American League Division Series. The winner of Game 5 Friday night in Seattle advances to the American League Championship Series. Detroit's ace pitcher Tarik Skubal will be starting for the Tigers. Can't script it all out much better than this...
John U. Bacon: You're really right about that. And look, I mean, it's not a given. Skubal has struggled against the Seattle Mariners. But you know what? If you had offered Tigers fans — a month ago, during that horrible slide — a chance at Game 5 with Skubal on the mound against Seattle, the best team in the American League, I think they would have taken it. So it's basically a toss-up. Throw the dice.
DT: Skubal has gotten a lot of attention. But we should also take a minute to note the way Javier Báez has been playing for the Tigers. He had something of a bounce-back season during the regular season, but now he has been absolutely crucial to Detroit's success in these playoffs.
JUB: There's no question. Look, when they got him, they got an MVP runner-up from the Chicago Cubs. And they thought he'll be that at Detroit. And last year he was so bad they would have been better off without him, according to the stats. But this fall, he has been a key in close games, and he's got his bat back as well. So very big for Detroit.
DT: Let's turn to college football. Michigan will be in Southern California to face USC on Saturday evening. The Trojans have fallen out of the Top 25 after a loss to Illinois. Michigan is ranked No. 15 in the country after beating Wisconsin. This is a tough test on a big stage for the Michigan defense. USC scores a lot of points. And it's a tough test for Wolverines freshman quarterback Bryce Underwood, who at last check is still a freshman.
JUB: [Laughs] Yes, and I think he's going to be one all semester, by the way Doug. So look that one up.
DT: [Laughs] We'll track that as the season progresses.
JUB: That's all I'm asking. Thank you for that, by the way.
No, you're exactly right. And what happens with the new Big Ten — which is the entire country now, of course — is when the West Coast teams come to the Midwest, they struggle. And when the Midwest teams, like Michigan, go to the West Coast, they struggle. So throw that one into the mix as well. If Michigan wins this one, that is a very solid victory.
DT: Well, we saw Michigan State lose on the road in California [to USC]. Now they will host UCLA in East Lansing. The Bruins are just 1-4 on the season, but that one win came in a major upset of Penn State last weekend. What will you be watching for from the Spartans, who are hoping to bounce back after a pretty tight loss to Nebraska?
JUB: Well, one question is: is UCLA that 0-4 team? Or [are they] the team that somehow trounced a very good Penn State team, a top-five Penn State team. So, that's one question right there. But also [MSU quarterback] Aidan Chiles is the story here. He had his worst game of his career last week, which is not good, obviously. And his backup quarterback, Alessio Milivojevic, he might get in again if Chiles struggles. So watch for Chiles and watch for Michigan State's special teams, which also struggled last week. But they've got a very good chance of notching, I think, an important win this week.
DT: Turning to the NFL, the Lions will visit the Kansas City Chiefs in a Sunday Night Football matchup. KC quarterback Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs will be back at home after an upset loss to Jacksonville. Detroit has won four straight. A Chiefs team that's off to a slow start is still a very dangerous team. What are the keys for the Lions?
JUB: And [the Chiefs] are ticked off for losing last week. If I'm coaching Detroit, I like my opponents fat and happy. I don't want them mean and ticked off. So you're getting mean and ticked off and at home for the Chiefs. So watch out for that. But really, is this the transition game or not? So it seems like the Chiefs are near the end of their run as a dynasty, and the Lions might be at the start of theirs. So will the torch pass this weekend? I think it might.
DT: The Red Wings opened their regular season Thursday night against Montreal. We're almost out of time here, but is there a silver lining to a 5-1 loss in the season opener?
JUB: [Laughs] Love you, Doug. No.
But there is hockey!
DT: [Laughs] Well, John, thanks a lot. Have a good weekend.
JUB: Doug, thank you.
Editor's notes: Quotes in this article have been lightly edited for length and clarity. You can hear the full interview near the top of this page.
The University of Michigan holds Michigan Public's broadcast license.
