It wasn’t planned that way, but the schedule of Detroit and Minnesota worked out such that the last meeting of the season for both teams is a shoot out for the title. Going into it, Minnesota had to win three out of four to win, while Detroit only needs to win half the games. You’d think that would be good news for the Tigers (and a win would be a morale boost for the benighted Michigan residents, with the highest unemployment rate in the nation, albeit of their own making, due to poor political choices over the decades). But the momentum is with the Twins, who are on a hot streak, while Detroit has been slumping, particularly at bat. Their pitching staff has been great, but they haven’t gotten the runs they need to win, which is why they were separated by only two games going into the series this weekend, dropped from a seven-game lead early in September.
They were rain postponed last night, so today was a double header, and their unfortunate trend continues. They lost the first game this afternoon, 3-2 (again, can’t really blame the pitching staff). If the Twins sweep, they only need one more win, tomorrow or Thursday, to win the division. The Tigers would still be the wild card, but if they can’t win this series, there’s not much chance they can do the job when they have to win the league title, and then the championship. As a Tigers fan, I sure hope they can at least split today. As I type this, they’re up one to nothing.
If the Twins win the division, the Tigers go home. Boston’s six games up over Texas, nine over the Twins, and around seven and a half games up over Detroit if the Twins knock them off. No chance of a playoff berth with those numbers.
Still up 2 games with 5 games left in the regular season. If the Tigers win it it will be their first division title since 1987, and man was THAT a year… Jack Morris, Doyle Alexander (who was nearly untouchable in the second half). But in the ALCS they ran into… the Twins, who had finally put it all together with a 1-2 punch of Frankie “Sweet Music” V and Bert Blyleven, Kirby and Hrbie, and their eventual team MVP Jeff Reardon. The Twins got lucky by clinching with 6 games left and resting their rotation, while the Tigers, with 98 wins and baseballs best record, didn’t clinch over pesky Toronto until the very end.
The Tigers pulled out the second game, But they have to win a game not started by Verlander, Jackson or Porcello today or tomorrow to salvage the Split. They haven’t accomplished that in over a month. Meanwhile The Twins are sending out Pavano, who Owns the Tigers, and Scott Baker, statistically their best pitcher all season.
The Twins can print Playoff Tickets now.