AL Central playoff: Detroit Tigers at Minnesota Twins
The Minnesota Twins have done the unthinkable, chasing down the Detroit Tigers to tie for the AL Central lead after 162 games, so for the second year in a row Minnesota finds itself in a one-game tiebreaker game for baseball’s final playoff berth; Tuesday’s game is not technically called a playoff and all stats will count toward the regular season.
Last year, the Twins had to go to Chicago and lost to the White Sox in game No. 163. But that loss had one benefit: Major League Baseball changed the rules for where a one-game tiebreaker would be played going forward – previously it was just a coin flip that determined the location, but now it’s which team won the season series, and that was Minnesota, which was 11-7 against the Tigers, 7-2 at home.
The Twins won 16 of their final 20 games to catch Detroit in the division and force the fifth one-game tiebreaker in AL history.
“I think you ask anybody, you never thought it would happen again in your career, let alone two years in a row,” said Twins outfielder Denard Span. “Two years in a row, coming down to having the same record as another team at the end. It’s crazy.”
The home team is 4-4 in eight MLB tiebreakers all-time, but all four wins came in the past five games.
The Tigers will start Rick Porcello (14-9, 4.04), their 20-year-old rookie right-hander as he attempts to give the Tigers their first division title since 1987, one year before he was born. Porcello has faced the Twins twice in the past two and a half weeks. Detroit lost both, but Porcello had quality starts in both outings. He is 0-2 with a 6.30 ERA in two starts at the Metrodome this season.
Detroit could have a major distraction, as star hitter Miguel Cabrera was taken to a police station over the weekend after coming home drunk and getting into a fight with his wife at their suburban Detroit home.
Birmingham Police Chief Richard Patterson said Rosangel Cabrera called 911 at 6 a.m. Saturday, requesting police assistance. An alcohol test found that Miguel Cabrera was at three times the legal limit for driving, police said. Neither Cabrera, who has scratches and bruises on his face, nor his wife was charged, and it’s pretty unlikely that the Tigers suspend their best hitter for Tuesday’s game. Cabrera has been in a slump of late, hitting just.192 during the final seven games.
Minnesota starts Scott Baker (16-9, 4.36 ERA). He has faced Detroit twice in the past few weeks as well.
On Sept. 20 Baker took the loss against Detroit, allowing four earned runs and eight hits in 4 2/3 innings.
Last Thursday, Baker allowed just one run in five innings as the Twins saved their season – a Tiger win that day would have clinched the Central. Baker is 12-4 since July 12, posting a 3.45 ERA over that span.
The Twins’ hottest hitter as been shortstop Orlando Cabrera, who is on a 15-game hitting streak. During the streak, he’s batting .440 (29 for 66) with 19 runs scored and 14 RBIs.
This game was supposed to take place on Monday, but the Metrodome was booked with the Packers-Vikings game, so it is being played Tuesday at 5 p.m. ET. A loss by Minnesota would close the door on the Metrodome as a baseball stadium for good – the team moves into an outdoor stadium for next season.
Tuesday’s winner advances to play the Yankees in New York in the first round of the playoffs.
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