Game 163: Take Two. Twins-Tigers

This afternoon the Twins will do something that no other team has ever done.

Play in a tiebreaker to determine a playoff spot for a second straight year.

Like all Twins fans I hope this one goes a little better than the last one, even though the Twins lost that game 1-0 thanks to a Jim Thome home run that landed in a spot only he could hit it to, it was still a great game played by two good teams.

This year the Twins, with a record of 16-4 over their final 20 games, face the floundering Tigers who managed to piss away a three game lead with four to play. The Twins send their ace Scott Baker to the mound tonight against rookie phenom 20 year old Rick Porcello. Porcello gave up one run on seven hits over 6 1/3 innings and has been quite good against the Twins in Detroit but at the Dome he is 0-2 and has allowed seven earned runs in 10 innings.

Baker however did better than his 1-1 record and 6.75 ERA against the Tigers in four starts would suggest in his last start. If he can continue his good pitching (12-4 since July 12th with a 3.45 ERA) I can see him having a quality start or imploding and dooming the Twins to be the first team to lose two straight tiebreakers in MLB history.

The Twins lineup has been sizzling lately while the Tigers have faded. The Twins averaged 9.3 run per game against the Royals and 6.35 runs per game over their last 20. The Twins can thank this power surge to every single player in that lineup but mainly Cuddyer, Kubel, and Delmon Young. While Joe Mauer has been getting on base a lot the three guys I just mentioned have been driving in runs like mad ever since '06 MVP Justin Morneau was declared out for the rest of the season with the stress fracture in his lower back. The Tigers haven't been ice cold as of late but they aren't the offensive powerhouse most had predicted averaging 4.19 runs over their final 21 games (inflated by the Cleveland series and a 12-5 win over the White Sox).

The Twins also have one very important factor in their favor. Dome-field advantage. The Twins are 7-2 against the Tigers at home and have one of the best home field advantages in the majors. The amount of noise that can be made in the Dome is unrivaled by a sold out crowd in most stadiums can shake even the most stone faced and stoic of opponents. Porcello may have lots of poise but he's never been in a situation like this so it will be interesting to watch how he reacts to the waving of homer hankies and the loud cheers of Twins Territory.

One thing is for certain. Win or go home. I think the Twins can take this one but it will take a solid performance from Baker and a bullpen that has to perform better than it did in the Kansas City series.