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Games for Health Conference 2009 gamesforhealth.org | Chiropractic San Francisco: 2009 Bay to Breakers San Francisco blog.parksidechiro.com | 2009 Black Tie Gala pohregional.org | Foundation - Black-tie Gala - 2009 Photos st-marysfoundation.org |
The 2009 American League Central tiebreaker game took place on October 6, 2009 between the Detroit Tigers and the Minnesota Twins at the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, after both teams finished the season with identical records of 86–76. The Twins, who won the game, advanced to the 2009 American League Division Series to face the New York Yankees. It was an unprecedented third one-game playoff for Major League Baseball in as many years.[1] It was also the second consecutive tiebreaker for the AL Central title after 2008, when the Chicago White Sox defeated the Twins to win the division. Prior to the 2009 season, home field advantage in a tiebreaker game was decided by a series of coin tosses held towards the end of the regular season that would decide the home teams of all possible one-game playoffs. A rule change by MLB following the conclusion of 2008 season made it so that the site would be determined on a performance-based criteria, beginning with the head-to-head record between the two teams that were tied.[2] Therefore, the Twins took home-field advantage in this game, by virtue of winning the season series against the Tigers 11–7. Statistically, the game counted as the 163rd regular-season game played by both teams, and all statistics compiled during the game were added to each player and/or team's regular season statistics. This game was the Twins' final regular-season game at the Metrodome; the team is moving to the new Target Field for the 2010 season.
[edit] BackgroundMain articles: 2009 Detroit Tigers season and 2009 Minnesota Twins season In the final week of the regular season, the Tigers held a two-game lead on the Twins for the division lead. The two teams entered a four-game series taking place at Comerica Park in Detroit on September 29, starting with a day-night doubleheader, caused by a rainout the night before when the series was scheduled to start. Tensions ran high in the final game of the series. With batters of each team being either thrown at or hit by pitches throughout the game, first started when Jose Mijares threw behind Adam Everett in the eighth inning. After warnings having already been issued, Minnesota's Delmon Young was hit in the knee with the first pitch in the ninth inning by Jeremy Bonderman. The benches casually emptied onto the field around home plate, as Bonderman was immediately ejected, as well as catcher Gerald Laird after he argued with home-plate umpire Angel Hernandez. Young was visibly upset as he slammed his helmet to the ground and shouted toward the Minnesota dugout, directed at Mijares for provoking Bonderman's retaliation pitch.[3] Mijares would later apologize to Young and the rest of his teammates for his actions.[4] Ultimately, the four-game set was split with two wins for each team, and the Tigers maintained their two-game lead with only three games remaining for each club. The Tigers dropped two of their next three games to the White Sox, whereas the Twins swept the Royals in a three-game set. After 162 games, both teams were tied with an 86–76 record, where the Tigers had spent the last 146 days in first place by themselves.[5] Since the wild card spot had already been won by the Boston Red Sox, a one-game playoff would be needed to decide the winner of the Central division, where the winner would move on to the postseason, and the loser would be eliminated. [edit] Game summary The scoring opened up for both teams in the third inning. With two outs, Detroit's Magglio Ordóñez singled to center field, scoring a runner from second base. In the next at-bat, Miguel Cabrera, who earlier in the week got into an altercation with his wife after coming home late and drunk, shook off the boos from the crowd and hit a home run to give the Tigers a 3-run lead. The Twins answered in the home half of the frame by scoring one run on an error by Tigers' rookie starting pitcher Rick Porcello. With runners on the corners, Porcello made a poor throw on a pickoff attempt to first base, allowing the runner on third base to score easily. Despite the error, Porcello was pitching well. He had struck out eight batters for a career-high, and at one point, retired nine consecutive batters. That streak carried into the sixth inning before a two-out solo home run by Jason Kubel snapped it, cutting Detroit's lead to 3–2 . After walking the next batter, Porcello's day was finished. The Twins would load the bases after his removal, but all three runners were left stranded at the inning's end. In the next inning for the Twins, Orlando Cabrera, who had been 0 for 3 on the day, belted a 2-run home run that landed in the first row of the left field stands to put Minnesota up 4–3. The Tigers would respond quickly in the eighth, when Magglio Ordóñez led off the inning with a home run off reliever Matt Guerrier to even the game. Following the equalizer, Detroit had two on with one out, and Twins closer Joe Nathan was summoned from the bullpen. Though this was not a save situation, Nathan had converted all 30 save opportunities in his career against Detroit.[6] After a popout, Nathan caught Gerald Laird looking at a third strike to end the top half of the inning. The game would enter the ninth inning still tied 4–4. With a head first slide into first base, barely avoiding a tag by the first baseman, Ramón Santiago led off with a bunt single for the Tigers. Curtis Granderson would then single to right field that moved pinch runner Adam Everett to third base with no outs. After Placido Polanco struck out looking, Magglio Ordóñez hit a line drive caught by the shortstop. Granderson was caught too far off of first base and was doubled off to end the threat. The Twins failed to score in the bottom of the ninth, moving the game into extra innings. In the tenth inning for Detroit with two outs, Brandon Inge hit a double to left field that went all the way to the wall, allowing pinch runner Don Kelly to score from first base and give the Tigers a one-run lead. The Twins would refuse to go away. Michael Cuddyer led off with a fly ball that left fielder Ryan Raburn attempted to make a diving catch for. Unable to make the shoestring grab, the ball went under him, and Cuddyer was able to hustle all the way to third base for a triple. Matt Tolbert came through with a one-out single up the middle to score the tying run, and move the winning run to third base. Nick Punto then hit a line drive to left field that was caught, and Raburn made up for his earlier mistake by throwing out pinch runner Alexi Casilla at home to keep the game alive with a 5–5 score. The two teams would go to the 12th inning, where the Tigers had the bases loaded with only one out. After the home plate umpire failed to recognize that a pitched ball grazed Brandon Inge's uniform, which would have forced home the go-ahead run,[7] Inge hit a ground ball to second base, and the runner on third was forced out at home. Gerald Laird then struck out swinging with a full count. Getting out of another tough spot, the Twins would finally win the game on a single from Alexi Casilla that scored Carlos Gómez from second base for the walk-off win and the division championship, as well as the final spot in the postseason.[8][9] [edit] Line score
WP: Bob Keppel (1–1) LP: Fernando Rodney (2–5) [edit] AftermathWith the win, the Twins clinched the American League Central, earning them a spot in the ALDS against the New York Yankees. Their postseason run was a short one however, as they were swept in the series by the Yankees in three games. The Tigers became the first team in Major League Baseball history to have a three-game division lead with four games remaining, and lose.[10] [edit] Quotes
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