Winning however possible is how the ALDS-bound Tigers have done it

The Detroit Tigers weren't supposed to be here.

They were 52-57 at the trade deadline and traded away several key players, including starting pitcher Jack Flaherty. They even flirted with trading away Cy Young candidate Tarik Skubal, which goes to show you the mindset of the organization at that time.

Since the trade deadline, the Tigers went on an improbable, youth-led, run though. They roared back to make the wild-card thanks to a "never say die" attitude and a philosophy instilled by manager A.J. Hinch that allowed any player to step up at any time to make the big play.

On a team with no true stars outside of Skubal and potentially left fielder Riley Greene, everybody pitched in to get the Tigers to the playoffs, and that was highlighted again on Tuesday when Detroit punched its ticket to the ALDS by sweeping the Houston Astros, winning Game 2, 5-2.

At one point, in the seventh inning, it looks like Detroit's magic was fading a bit when the Astros pushed two across to take a 2-1 lead. That's barely a lead, but Detroit's bats were cold outside of a Parker Meadows home run and they just watched their young ace of the future, Jackson Jobe, give up the lead and look overwhelmed in the process.

There are teams that would pack it in after that inning and focus on saving mental and physical energy for Game 3, but the Tigers came roaring back in the top of the eighth thanks to a three-run, pinch-hit double from Andy Ibanez that completely silenced the crowd, deflated the Astros, and ultimately won Detroit the game.

For those not in the know, Ibanez may seem like a random, if not unlikely hero for the Tigers, but this is how Detroit has been winning games all season.