NewsOne tiebreaker scenario left in MLB
If Tigers lost and Twins win, tiebreaker slated for Tuesday
MLB.com
10/04/09 4:00 AM EST
Heading into the final day of the regular season, there is one postseason berth unclaimed.
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- • Standings | Wild Card
- • Postseason Schedule
- • Tickets | At Bat 2009
The fate of the Tigers and Twins in the AL Central will be determined today -- maybe. The battle for the division crown could extend to Tuesday if the clubs have identical records at the end of the day.
The Yankees await the outcome of that race, as they will play the winner. The Angels and Red Sox know exactly what they'll be doing next week: playing each other in the first round. But tiebreaker rules loom as potential factors in the AL Central.
WHAT IF THERE'S A TIE IN THE AL CENTRAL?
They're tied after the Tigers lost at home to the White Sox and the Twins beat the Royals in the Metrodome on Saturday. Should they still be tied after Sunday's games, a one-game playoff would be played in Minnesota because the Twins went 11-7 against Detroit. The expected starters for the game would be Rick Porcello for the Tigers and Scott Baker for the Twins.
A tiebreaker game would be played on Tuesday because of the NFL's scheduled Monday Night Football game between the Packers and Vikings at the Metrodome.
WHAT'S THE STORY WITH THE NL?
Everything was decided on Saturday. The Dodgers clinched the NL West and home-field through the NLCS by beating the Rockies, 5-0, on Saturday. Losses by the Phillies and Cardinals relegated them to the NL's No. 2 and 3 seeds, respectively.
When the two NL Division Series begin on Wednesday, the Dodgers will play host to the Cardinals and the Phillies will be at home against the Rockies.
This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
