Countdown Until We Win The Division

Tigers win, Twins idle.

Magic number 8.

Tigers win, Twins win.

Magic number 7.

Gonna be down to the wire.

the BARE wire!

Tigers lose, Twins lose.

Magic number 6.

We need to win when the Twinkies lose! I can't handle this stress!

Tigers BEAT Twins IN 7:05 PM GAME

Magic number 4.

2 games left with the Twins...split them and we're in great shape. With them both and it's officially over!

Is anyone else getting pvery nervous???

SI!!!!

Let's think of it. I'd rather be in a tight race than have clinched a week ago. More suspense to it =]

Go Tigers!

Cut that magic number in half!

(It's 2 for those that are math challenged)

Tigers win, Twins win.

Magic number worthless

Tie breaker needed Tuesday, 5 pm, at the Baggy Dome.

Tigers, Twins to go beyond on Tuesday
AL Central foes to decide division title in one-game tiebreaker

By Mark Newman / MLB.com

10/04/09 4:35 PM ET

Beyond 162.

For the third consecutive year -- the longest such streak in MLB history -- the regular season will go beyond the limit and require a playoff tiebreaker to finalize the postseason field.

Detroit and Minnesota each won in their 162nd games on Sunday, leading to a one-game tiebreaker Tuesday at the Metrodome to decide the American League Central champion.

The Twins become the first club ever to play such a tiebreaker in consecutive years, having lost the AL Central tiebreaker against the White Sox in 2008. The Rockies beat the Padres for the 2007 National League Wild Card to start this now-expected extension.

Tuesday's winner will play Game 1 of the AL Division Series either Wednesday or Thursday at Yankee Stadium, and the Red Sox will be at the Angels in the other ALDS. The NL Division Series are all set, with Rockies at Phillies and Cardinals at Dodgers, both on Wednesday.

Somehow you just knew that in this season of such little day-to-day turnover atop the standings, there would still be a mad rush of suspenseful drama. Here we are again.

Alex Rodriguez even stepped in to be a big part of the story, as he was when the season began, but this time he spoke with his bat, driving in an astounding seven runs in one inning on a three-run homer and grand slam.

It also was as if A-Rod reminded the Tigers and Twins pitchers about what could lie ahead for the tiebreaker survivor in the days to come. Remember in 2006, when the Tigers came in as underdogs against the mighty Yankees, only to see Rodriguez dropped far down the batting order amid a slump, and the Bronx Bombers dropped the series?

Justin Verlander, now unquestionably a real AL Cy Young candidate (no one in baseball has more wins or strikeouts), finished the regular season at 19-9 by beating the White Sox in No. 162 at Comerica Park. It came before a giddy crowd that hopes for the city's first World Series title in a quarter-century.

The Twins built a quick 7-0 lead against the Royals on what everyone in attendance knew could be the final day of baseball in the history of the Metrodome. Their team moves into outdoor Target Field next spring. As the game progressed, it became official that the Tigers had won and that the locals had to hold up their end in order to meet in a tiebreaker. Minnesota withstood a Royals rally and did just that, and can now wonder whether there will be a third and final World Series in that facility.

The tiebreaker will be in Minnesota because the Twins won the season series between the clubs. That is especially worth noting, because in the past it would have been a coin flip that decided where this game would be played. The rules were changed this year, so head-to-head decided it. In other words, it came down to what happened on the field instead of the pure chance of a coin falling on either side.

Detroit is trying desperately to avoid the ignominy of becoming the first team in history to be in first place on May 10 or earlier and remain on top until losing the title in the final week of the season.

A couple of right-handers will be the probable starting pitchers for the tiebreaker: Rookie Rick Porcello (14-9, 4.04 ERA) for the Tigers, and Scott Baker (15-9, 4.36) for the Twins. Two of Porcello's last three outings were against Minnesota, one a loss and one a no-decision, but both were quality starts. Baker tossed five solid innings, allowing no earned runs, to beat the Tigers on Thursday.

The only other time tiebreakers happened in consecutive years was 1998-99 -- and obviously the chances of it happening at all are greater in the Wild Card era. The Cubs eliminated the Giants at Wrigley Field for the 1998 NL Wild Card, and a year later the Mets won at Cincinnati to secure the same berth. The Yankees were the last to win a playoff tiebreaker and then win a World Series, thanks to Bucky Dent's unexpected homer at Fenway Park in 1978.

There is some bittersweet and mixed emotion on this final Sunday, because for many it is time to say goodbye to the heroes of our summer. Goodbye to Jonathan Sanchez, who threw that stunning no-hitter right before the All-Star Game, and goodbye to Adrian Gonzalez and that marvelous 40-homer season for the Padres. They met again on the final day of the season, and watching them you could not help but think about what a long haul this is and how good you must be to advance.

Goodbye to Felix Hernandez of the Mariners and Scott Feldman of the Rangers, who pitched against each other in a final Sunday showcase of brilliant future stars. Their future already arrived this year. Hernandez was aiming for his 19th win and Feldman his 18th.

Goodbye to Ichiro, who amazed us again, becoming the first player to collect at least 200 hits in nine consecutive seasons. Goodbye to Hanley Ramirez of the Marlins, his wondrous year finished with an NL batting title at .342. Goodbye to Mark Buehrle and that perfect game. Goodbye to 21 clubs for a winter ahead, and you will be joined soon by either Detroit or Minnesota in the offseason ranks.

Those seasons will become memories now. For eight clubs, the game will go on. For someone like Joe Nathan, the Twins' new single-season saves leader, a tiebreaker means your statistics don't stop yet, either. Tiebreakers count in the regular season stats.

In the coming days and weeks, it will be time for postseason magic, including the 105th World Series. Along the way, you will be constantly reminded that this is Beyond Baseball -- because it is.

Right now, it is Beyond 162.

The regular season goes on -- again.

Mark Newman is enterprise editor of MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

Let's go Tigers.....you can do it!!!

not so sure on this end, and I love the Tigs

Magic number for 2010:

163 (or is it 162? I'm not sure)

let's make it 163 to be sure