View source for 2009 American League Central tie-breaker game

{{Short description|2009 Major League Baseball tie-breaker game}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2014}}
{{good article}}
{{Infobox baseball game
|year       = 2009
|game       = American League Central<br>tie-breaker game
|image      = 2009 American League Central tie-breaker game.jpg
|caption    = The Twins celebrate after winning the game 6–5.
|date       = October 6, 2009
|venue      = [[Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome]] 
|city       = [[Minneapolis]], [[Minnesota]]
|visitor    = [[2009 Detroit Tigers season|Detroit Tigers]]
|home       = '''[[2009 Minnesota Twins season|Minnesota Twins]]'''
|attendance = 54,088
|umpires    = {{unbulleted list
 |[[Home plate|HP]]: [[Randy Marsh (umpire)|Randy Marsh]]
 |[[First base|1B]]: [[Dale Scott]]
 |[[Second base|2B]]: [[Jerry Layne]]
 |[[Third base|3B]]: [[Gary Cederstrom]]
 |[[Left field|LF]]: [[Fieldin Culbreth]]
 |[[Right field|RF]]: [[Bruce Dreckman]]
 }}
|top1             = 0
|top2             = 0
|top3             = 3
|top4             = 0
|top5             = 0
|top6             = 0
|top7             = 0
|top8             = 1
|top9             = 0
|top10            = 1
|top11            = 0
|top12            = 0
|visitor_r        = 5
|visitor_h        = 12
|visitor_e        = 1
|bot1             = 0
|bot2             = 0
|bot3             = 1
|bot4             = 0
|bot5             = 0
|bot6             = 1
|bot7             = 2
|bot8             = 0
|bot9             = 0
|bot10            = 1
|bot11            = 0
|bot12            = 1
|home_r           = 6
|home_h           = 12
|home_e           = 0
|television       = [[Major League Baseball on TBS|TBS]]
|tv_announcers    = [[Chip Caray]] and [[Ron Darling]]
|radio            = [[Major League Baseball on ESPN Radio|ESPN]]<br>[[WXYT (AM)|WXYT]] (DET)<br>[[KSTP (AM)|KSTP]] (MIN)
|radio_announcers = '''ESPN''': [[Dan Shulman]] and [[Dave Campbell (infielder)|Dave Campbell]]<br>'''WXYT''': [[Dan Dickerson]] and [[Jim Price (catcher)|Jim Price]]<br>'''KSTP''': [[John Gordon (sportscaster)|John Gordon]] and [[Dan Gladden]]
}}
The '''2009 American League Central tie-breaker game''' was a [[one-game playoff|one-game extension]] to [[Major League Baseball]]'s (MLB) [[2009 Major League Baseball season|2009 regular season]], played between the [[Detroit Tigers]] and [[Minnesota Twins]] to determine the champion of the [[American League]]'s (AL) [[American League Central|Central Division]]. It was played at the [[Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome]] in [[Minneapolis, Minnesota]], on October 6, 2009. The Twins won the game 6–5 in a thrilling 12-inning battle, and advanced to the [[2009 American League Division Series|2009 AL Division Series]] where they were swept by the [[New York Yankees]]; the Tigers failed to qualify for the postseason.

A tie-breaker was necessary after both teams finished the season with identical [[Winning percentage|win–loss records]] of 86–76. Due to a rules changes prior to the 2009 season, the Twins were awarded [[home advantage|home-field advantage]] by winning the regular season series 11–7 against the Tigers.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |agency=[[Associated Press]] |date=2009-10-04 |title=Twins pound Royals 13-4 to force one-game playoff with Tigers |url=https://www.nydailynews.com/2009/10/04/twins-pound-royals-13-4-to-force-one-game-playoff-with-tigers/ |access-date=2023-10-09 |website=[[New York Daily News]] |language=en-US}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite web |last=Bagnato |first=Andrew |date=2009-01-15 |title=Baseball owners eliminate tiebreaker coin flips |url=https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/sdut-bbo-rules-changes-011509-2009jan15-story.html |access-date=2023-10-09 |website=[[San Diego Union-Tribune]] |publisher=[[The Associated Press]] |language=en-US}}</ref><ref name=":2">{{Cite web |last=Staff |first=NESN |date=2009-10-06 |title=Tigers, Torrid Twins to Tangle in Do-Or-Die Central Tiebreaker |url=https://nesn.com/2009/10/tigers-torrid-twins-to-tangle-in-doordie-central-tiebreaker/ |access-date=2023-10-09 |website=NESN.com |language=en-US}}</ref><ref name=":3">{{Cite web |last=Krawczynski |first=Jon |title=Twins back for AL Central tiebreaker |url=https://www.cantonrep.com/story/news/2009/10/06/twins-back-for-al-central/42561851007/ |access-date=2023-10-09 |website=Canton Repository |language=en-US}}</ref><ref name=":4">{{Cite web |last=Shpigel |first=Ben |title=BASEBALL ROUNDUP; Postseason Games Will Go To Completion, Rule Says |url=https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9F05E0DC1039F935A25752C0A96F9C8B63 |access-date=2023-10-09 |website=[[New York Times]] |language=en}}</ref> It was the [[List of Major League Baseball tie-breakers|third tie-breaker played in MLB]] from 2007 to 2009. It was also the second consecutive tiebreaker for the AL Central title after [[2008 American League Central tie-breaker game|2008]], when the [[Chicago White Sox]] defeated the Twins to win the division. The Twins became the only MLB team to contest tie-breaker games of any sort (divisional and/or wild card) in consecutive seasons. The tie-breaker counted as the 163rd regular season game played by both teams and all events in the game were added to regular season statistics. This was the Twins' final regular season game at the Metrodome as the team moved to [[Target Field]] for the [[2010 Minnesota Twins season|2010 season]]. The tie-breaker was later named the [[List of 2009 all-decade Sports Illustrated awards and honors#Major League Baseball|Best Regular-Season Game of the Decade]] by ''[[Sports Illustrated]]''.

==Background==
{{main|2009 Detroit Tigers season|2009 Minnesota Twins season}}
The Tigers led the AL Central for periods at the start of the season in April, ultimately tying for the lead on May 10 and taking the lead outright on May 16.<ref name="tigersseason">{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/DET/2009-schedule-scores.shtml|title=2009 Detroit Tigers Schedule, Box Scores, and Splits|publisher=Sports Reference LLC|work=[[Baseball-Reference]]|access-date=April 5, 2010}}</ref> The Tigers held at least a share of the divisional lead from then onwards, holding their largest lead of 7 games on September 6.<ref name="tigersseason"/> Although the Tigers went 16–12 in September, their second-best month by [[winning percentage]] in 2009, they won just 1 of 4 games in October. The Twins went 16–11 and 4–0, respectively, over this same stretch to tie the Tigers for the divisional lead after the 162-game regular season.<ref name="tigersseason"/><ref name="twinsseason">{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/MIN/2009-schedule-scores.shtml|title=2009 Minnesota Twins Schedule, Box Scores, and Splits|publisher=Sports Reference LLC|work=[[Baseball-Reference]]|access-date=April 5, 2010}}</ref> More broadly, the Tigers were 48–39 over the first half of the season while the Twins were 45–44 but the Twins came back in the second half going 41–32 leading up to the tie-breaker while the Tigers went 38–37 over the same span.<ref name="tigersseason"/><ref name="twinsseason"/> The Twins won 11 of the two teams' 18 match-ups that season prior to the tie-breaker.<ref name="twinsseason"/>

This late-season competition for the AL Central title included a four-game series between the two teams from September 29 to October 1. The series, played at the Tigers' home field [[Comerica Park]], started with a [[day-night doubleheader]] caused by a rainout the night before when the series was scheduled to start.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20090928&content_id=7207976|title=Twins-Tigers opener postponed by rain|first=Kelly|last=Thesier|work=[[MLB.com]]|publisher=[[Major League Baseball]]|date=September 28, 2009|access-date=April 5, 2010}}</ref> The final game of the series featured moments of contention between the two teams. In the third inning, [[Nate Robertson]] [[hit by pitch|hit]] [[Denard Span]]. Minnesota [[Starting pitcher|starter]] [[Scott Baker (right-handed pitcher)|Scott Baker]] hit [[Marcus Thames]] with a pitch the next inning.<ref name="heated">{{cite web|url=http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20091001&content_id=7270226|title=Tigers-Twins finale turns heated late|first=Jason|last=Beck|work=[[MLB.com]]|publisher=[[Major League Baseball]]|date=October 1, 2009|access-date=April 5, 2010}}</ref> Thames responded by [[Slide (baseball)|sliding]] hard into [[second base]] to break up a potential [[double play]] that inning.<ref name="heated"/> Twins' [[relief pitcher|reliever]] [[Jose Mijares]] then threw behind the Tigers' [[Adam Everett]] in the eighth inning.<ref name="heated"/> [[Umpire (baseball)|Umpire]] [[Angel Hernandez (umpire)|Angel Hernandez]] warned Mijares and the Tigers bench, Tigers' [[Manager (baseball)|manager]] [[Jim Leyland]] argued with Hernandez, and he was ejected.<ref name="heated"/> Despite the warning Minnesota's [[Delmon Young]] was hit in the knee with the first pitch in the ninth inning by [[Jeremy Bonderman]]. Bonderman was immediately ejected as was Tigers' [[catcher]] [[Gerald Laird]] who argued with Hernandez and the benches cleared, though there was no [[Bench-clearing brawl|brawl]].<ref name="heated"/> Bonderman was suspended for three games, and Tigers' [[Coach (baseball)|hitting coach]] [[Lloyd McClendon]]—who had been acting as manager following Leyland's ejection—was suspended for a game.  McClendon, Leyland, and Laird were all fined.<ref name="fines">{{cite news|url=http://www.mlive.com/tigers/index.ssf/2009/10/two_tigers_no_twins_suspended.html|title=Tigers' Jeremy Bonderman, no Twins suspended following incident in series finale|first=Chris|last=Iott|work=MLive.com|date=October 2, 2009|access-date=January 20, 2013}}</ref>

Ultimately, the four-game series was split with two wins for each team, and the Tigers maintained a two-game lead with three games remaining for each club. The Tigers lost two of their next three games to the [[Chicago White Sox]], whereas the Twins swept the [[Kansas City Royals]] in a three-game series leaving both teams tied with an 86–76 record.<ref name="tigersseason"/><ref name="twinsseason"/> A tiebreaker game would decide the winner of the Central Division while the loser would be eliminated from playoff contention. Prior to the 2009 season, home field advantage in a tiebreaker game was decided by a series of [[coin flipping|coin tosses]] held towards the end of the regular season that would decide the home teams of all possible tiebreakers. A rule change following the 2008 season altered this process, leaving the site determined on a series of performance-based criteria beginning with the head-to-head record between the two teams that were tied.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2009-01-15 |title=Baseball owners eliminate coin flips |url=https://www.espn.com/espn/wire?section=mlb&id=3836057 |access-date=2023-10-09 |website=ESPN.com |language=en}}</ref><ref name=":4" /><ref name=":1" /> Therefore, the Twins took home-field advantage in this game, by virtue of winning the season series against the Tigers 11–7.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":2" /><ref name=":3" /> The game was the third MLB tie-breaker in three years, a record number for the league.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20091004&content_id=7322138&vkey=news_mlb&fext=.jsp&c_id=mlb|title=Tigers, Twins to go beyond on Tuesday|date=October 4, 2009|work=[[MLB.com]]|publisher=[[Major League Baseball]]|access-date=April 5, 2010}}</ref>

While October 5 had been the original scheduled date for a potential tiebreaker game, a scheduling conflict with the [[Minnesota Vikings]], who were co-tenants of the Metrodome with the Twins, resulted in the tiebreaker game being moved a day later to October 6.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/06/sports/baseball/06twins.html|title=Making the Metrodome a Two-Sport Star, Fast|first=Pat|last=Borzi|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=October 5, 2009}}</ref>

==Game summary==
[[File:00113279 Carlos Gómez.jpg|thumb|right|Carlos Gómez, pictured here in the regular season, scored the winning run in the 12th inning.|alt=A man in a blue baseball jersey, gray pinstriped pants, a batting helmet, and black gloves runs the bases.]]
{{Linescore
| Date = October 6, 2009
| Time = 4:08{{nbsp}}pm ([[Central Time Zone|CDT]])
| Location = [[Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome]] in [[Minneapolis]], [[Minnesota]]
| Road = Detroit Tigers | RoadAbr = DET
| R1=0|R2=0|R3=3|R4=0|R5=0|R6=0|R7=0|R8=1|R9=0|R10=1|R11=0|R12=0|RR=5|RH=12|RE=1
| Home = '''Minnesota Twins''' | HomeAbr = MIN
| H1=0|H2=0|H3=1|H4=0|H5=0|H6=1|H7=2|H8=0|H9=0|H10=1|H11=0|H12=1|HR=6|HH=12|HE=0
| WP = [[Bob Keppel]] (1–1)
| LP = [[Fernando Rodney]] (2–5)
| RoadHR = [[Miguel Cabrera]] (34), [[Magglio Ordóñez]] (9)
| HomeHR = [[Jason Kubel]] (28), [[Orlando Cabrera]] (9)
| Attendance = 54,088
}}
The game was scoreless through the first two innings. Detroit took a three-run lead in the third inning which started when [[Curtis Granderson]] [[Base on balls|walked]], advanced on a ground out, and scored on a single by [[Magglio Ordóñez]] to center field. Ordóñez was then brought home via a two-run [[home run]] by Tigers' first baseman [[Miguel Cabrera]]. The Twins responded in the bottom of the inning, with [[Matt Tolbert]] singling to lead off the inning, advancing to second base on a single by [[Denard Span]], and then moving to third on a flyball out. Tigers' starter [[Rick Porcello]] attempted a [[pickoff]] throw to first which hit the baserunner Span and went past the first baseman Cabrera.<ref name="usatoday">{{cite news|url=https://www.usatoday.com/sports/baseball/2009-10-06-tigers-twins_N.htm|title=Twins work Metrodome magic, tame Tigers in 12 epic innings|date=October 7, 2009|work=USA Today|access-date=November 20, 2009 | first=Bob | last=Nightengale}}</ref> Span was out but Tolbert was able to score on Porcello's [[Error (baseball)|throwing error]].

The score remained 3–1 until the bottom of the sixth inning. Porcello got the first two batters of the inning out but then allowed a home run to [[Jason Kubel]] to bring the game within one run. Porcello then walked the next batter, [[Michael Cuddyer]], and was [[Relief pitcher|relieved]] by [[Zach Miner]]. The Twins [[Bases loaded|loaded the bases]] against Miner, but did not score again in the inning. [[Scott Baker (right-handed pitcher)|Scott Baker]], the Twins' starter, walked the first batter of the seventh and was relieved by [[Jon Rauch]] though no runs scored. The Twins took a 4–3 lead in the bottom of the seventh with a leadoff single by [[Nick Punto]] and a two-run home run by [[Orlando Cabrera]]. The Tigers responded, tying the game at 4 with a home run by Ordóñez in the top of the eighth off of [[Matt Guerrier]]. Guerrier allowed another two walks in the inning and was relieved by closer [[Joe Nathan]] who escaped the inning with no further scoring.

Nathan remained in the game, holding the Tigers scoreless in the ninth, while Tigers' closer [[Fernando Rodney]] did the same to Minnesota to force [[extra innings]]. [[Jesse Crain]] replaced Nathan in the top of the tenth and [[Hit by pitch|hit]] [[Aubrey Huff]] who was [[Pinch hitter|pinch hitting]] for [[Wilkin Ramirez]]. [[Don Kelly (baseball)|Don Kelly]] then [[Pinch runner|pinch ran]] for Huff, and scored on a double by [[Brandon Inge]] to give the Tigers a 5–4 lead. The Tigers inserted [[Clete Thomas]] for Ordóñez in [[right field]] as a [[Defensive substitution|defensive replacement]] in the bottom of the tenth. However the Twins retied the game at 5–5 as Cuddyer led off the inning with a triple and, following a [[Delmon Young]] groundout and a walk to [[Brendan Harris]], scored on a single by Tolbert.  [[Alexi Casilla]] pinch-ran for Harris and advanced to third on Tolbert's single.  Nick Punto then hit a fly ball to left-fielder [[Ryan Raburn]].  Casilla attempted to score on the play, but inadvertently inched off the base before the ball was caught, and had to return to the base before breaking for home.  Catcher [[Gerald Laird]] successfully tagged out Casilla to complete the inning-ending double play.

Both teams were held scoreless in the 11th. The Tigers threatened to score in the top of the 12th, with a walk by Cabrera and a single by Kelly with one out. Twins pitcher [[Bobby Keppel]] then [[Intentional walk|intentionally walked]] Raburn to load the bases, hoping he could induce a [[double play]].<ref name="ingehbp">{{cite web|url=http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20091007&content_id=7376820|title=To Inge, phantom HBP a critical non-call|date=October 7, 2009|work=[[MLB.com]]|publisher=[[Major League Baseball]]|first=Jason|last=Beck|access-date=April 5, 2010}}</ref> Then, Keppel threw a fastball close to batter Brandon Inge with his first pitch.<ref name="ingehbp"/> Inge believed he was hit by the ball and should advance to first, which would force a go-ahead run to score with the bases loaded, but home plate umpire [[Randy Marsh (umpire)|Randy Marsh]] ruled the pitch did not hit Inge and allowed the at-bat to continue.<ref name="ingehbp"/> Tigers' manager Jim Leyland would say later that "the replay kind of confirms that it did hit him," but Marsh maintained that replays were "inconclusive."<ref name="ingehbp"/> Inge ultimately grounded into a [[Force play|force out]] at home and Laird would [[strikeout]] to close the top of the inning with no scoring. [[Carlos Gómez]] led off the bottom of the 12th with a single for the Twins and advanced to second on a ground-out.  With first base open, the Tigers intentionally walked Delmon Young to bring up Casilla.  Casilla atoned for his earlier base-running blunder by hitting a ground ball through the right side of the infield.  The base hit allowed the speedy Gomez to score from second without a play, thus giving the Twins a 6–5 [[walk-off home run|walk-off]] victory.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20091006&content_id=7367504&vkey=recap&fext=.jsp&c_id=mlb|title=Never-give-up Twins win AL Central title|date=October 6, 2009|work=[[MLB.com]]|publisher=[[Major League Baseball]]|access-date=April 5, 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/recap?gid=291006109|title=Twins complete comeback, 6–5 over Tigers in 12th|date=October 6, 2009|work=Yahoo Sports|access-date=April 5, 2010}}</ref>

==Aftermath==
The tie-breaker win clinched the American League Central for the Twins and earned them a spot in the [[2009 American League Division Series|ALDS]], in which they were swept by the [[2009 New York Yankees season|New York Yankees]] in three games. The Tigers became the first team in MLB history to have a three-game division lead with four games remaining and lose the division.<ref name="usatoday"/>

MLB tie-breaker games counted as regular season games<ref>{{cite web|url=http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20080414&content_id=2527172|title=One-game playoff won't be forgotten|first=Mike|last=Scar|work=[[MLB.com]]|publisher=[[Major League Baseball]]|date=April 14, 2008|access-date=April 5, 2010}}</ref> and this game affected certain statistical races for the 2009 season. For example, Jason Beck of [[MLB.com]] noted that if the umpire agreed with Brandon Inge on the contentious 12th inning call Inge would have tied for the most [[hit by pitch|hit by a pitch]] in the American League.<ref name="ingehbp"/> Twins' [[catcher]] [[Joe Mauer]] won the [[List of Major League Baseball batting champions|2009 American League batting title]],<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/leaders/batting_avg_leagues.shtml|title=Yearly League Leaders & Records for Batting Average|publisher=Sports Reference LLC|work=[[Baseball-Reference]]|access-date=April 5, 2010}}</ref> and his final [[batting average (baseball)|batting average]] for the season moved from .364 to .365 in the game.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/gl.cgi?n1=mauerjo01&t=b&year=2009|title=Joe Mauer 2009 Batting Gamelogs|publisher=Sports Reference LLC|work=[[Baseball-Reference]]|access-date=April 5, 2010}}</ref>

The game was later chosen by ''[[Sports Illustrated]]'' as the [[List of 2009 all-decade Sports Illustrated awards and honors#Major League Baseball|Best Regular-Season Game of the Decade]].<ref>{{cite web|first=Joe|last=Posnanski|title=2000s: The Decade in Sports; MLB: Highlights and lowlights|publisher=Sports Illustrated|date=December 9, 2009|url=http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/magazine/specials/2000s/12/04/mlb.highlights.lowlights/index.html|access-date=January 25, 2011|archive-date=January 6, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120106124135/http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/magazine/specials/2000s/12/04/mlb.highlights.lowlights/index.html|url-status=dead}}</ref>

==References==
;General
{{refbegin}}
*{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/MIN/MIN200910060.shtml|title=October 6, 2009 Detroit Tigers at Minnesota Twins Box Score and Play by Play|work=[[Baseball-Reference]]|publisher=Sports Reference LLC|access-date=April 5, 2010}}
{{refend}}
;Specific
{{reflist|2}}

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{{DEFAULTSORT:2009 American League Central Tie-Breaker Game}}
[[Category:2009 Major League Baseball season|American League Central tie-breaker game]]
[[Category:Detroit Tigers postseason]]
[[Category:Minnesota Twins postseason]]
[[Category:Major League Baseball tie-breaker games]]
[[Category:2009 in sports in Minnesota]]
[[Category:2000s in Minneapolis]]
[[Category:October 2009 sports events in the United States]]