Tigers, Torrid Twins to Tangle in Do-Or-Die Central Tiebreaker

After six-plus months and 162 games, it’s hard to imagine that two teams — teams that have played each other 18 times already this season — would have to go to a 163rd tilt to decide a Central division champion.

But such is the story with the Tigers and Twins, who — thanks to identical 86-76 records — will play a one-game tiebreaker Tuesday at the Metrodome for a chance to move on to the American League Division Series against the Yankees.

The teams enter Tuesday’s playoff on opposite sides of the recent-success spectrum. The Tigers, who held a seven-game lead over the Twins as recently as Sept. 6, have stumbled mightily down the stretch. After getting swept by the Royals in Kansas City, Detroit finished the season on an 11-15 run, including losing two of three games in Minnesota and splitting a four-game series with the Twins at home.

“I don’t want to say they choked, but they choked a little bit,” Minnesota outfielder Denard Span told The New York Times. “Now they have the opportunity to not choke. The pressure is on those guys. They’ve had the lead the whole second half. If we win on Tuesday, it would be the greatest comeback.”

The Twins, on the flip side, went 16-4 over their final 20 games to make up ground in a hurry. And thanks to their 11-7 mark against the Tigers this season, they’ll be hosting Tuesday’s matchup in what will be the final regular-season game ever at the Metrodome.

After sweeping the Royals at home the final weekend of the season, including a 13-4 blowout on Sunday that saw dozens of players from Minnesota’s past return for what they thought would be the Dome’s finale, the Twins are likely to be supported once again by a boisterous crowd waving its Homer Hankies.

“You might want to put your earplugs in,” suggested Tigers third baseman Brandon Inge. “It gets loud. That’s OK, though. We’re looking forward to it.”

“We’ve got a lot of confidence, but at the same time we’re not going to go take it for granted,” Twins outfielder Michael Cuddyer told MLB.com. “We’re going to face a tough team in Detroit. We’re going to face a tough pitcher. We’ve got our work cut out for us.”

Detroit manager Jim Leyland is turning to rookie right-hander Rick Porcello (14-9, 4.04 ERA) for the all-important matchup. It’s a decision that seems controversial to some, especially given that Porcello has faced the Twins twice in the past two and a half weeks — the Tigers lost both games, but the rookie delivered quality starts both times. Because of that, Porcello’s teammates are confident in the 20-year-old.

“I think he’s surprised a lot of people all year,” said Justin Verlander, the Tigers’ ace and Cy Young candidate, who kept Detroit alive Sunday with his 7 2/3 innings to beat the White Sox. “He’s got one more chance to do the same.

“Like I’ve said all year, he’s so mature for his age, he’s unbelievable,” Verlander continued.
“He’s confident in himself. He’ll be able to draw off that, go in and do a good job for us.”

Ron Gardenhire, the Twins manager, is once again calling upon righty Scott Baker (15-9, 4.36), whose win over the Tigers on Thursday at Comerica Park kept alive Minnesota’s playoff hopes. If the Twins had lost that game, the finale of the teams’ four-game series, Detroit would have clinched the American League Central. Five days later, Baker, who is 12-4 since July 12, now has a shot at crushing the Tigers’ postseason dreams for a second time.

“Obviously the situation is the same, but the setting is different,” Baker told MLB.com. “There is no way to go around the fact that we’re playing in the Dome and not in Detroit. I think we’ve seen in the past how well we play in front of our fans and how much it can affect the outcome of the game. We’re all very excited to be here at the Dome.”

But how much of a benefit will home-field advantage be? In the eight one-game tiebreakers played to this point in major league history, the home teams have gone 4-4. Ironically, in last season’s AL Central tiebreaker, the Twins fell to the White Sox in Chicago to end their season. Despite the fact that Minnesota won the season series last year against Chicago, the Sox were selected as the host on a coin flip. The White Sox went on to lose in four games to the Tampa Bay Rays in the ALDS. The home-field advantage rule was subsequently changed prior to the 2009 season.

“I think people recognize how silly that was last year,” Gardenhire told MLB.com. “If you are going to play a team 19 times during the year, it should stand for something. Head-to-head should stand for something. It does now, and it’s righted.”

How will the Metrodome affect Tuesday’s playoff play-in game? The Twins fans will certainly make plenty of noise, but the game will be decided on the field.

“Obviously we didn’t want to have to go back there,” said Tigers left fielder Ryan Raburn, who hit two homers on Sunday. “But for us to be able to go in there and take a win to shut that place down, it would be awesome.”

“We still have a heck of a chance, obviously, to win this division,” Leyland chimed in. “After 162 games, we are in first place, and I think that’s probably more than most people expected. I’m not trying to indicate that we’re satisfied. I’m just saying that at the beginning of the season, I can’t remember anybody picking us to win the division. And we haven’t, but we are in first place after 162 games.”

But the Tigers will have to be in first place after Game 163 if they want to advance to the postseason.

“It’s one game,” said Verlander. “Strap it on. May the best team win. Let’s go play some baseball.”