'Dome, Big Mo, Tigers' offense will all have their roles in Tuesday showdown

And it wasn't too long ago that we thought they were finished.

Just weeks ago it seemed as if they were out for sure. They trailed by 7 games with little season left. As television play-by-play broadcaster Mario Impemba put it, "If they don't watch it, the Minnesota Twins may soon find themselves out of this A.L. Central race."

They weren't a serious problem. Our focus was Chicago, Chicago, Chicago. The Twins were nothing but an afterthought.

And yet, this very Tuesday night, the Detriot Tigers will head out to the Metrodome in a one-game-playoff against the Minnesota Twins to determine the winner of the pennant race.

The Tigers have held at least a share of the division since the middle of May, so it would seem that they would have wrapped things up by now, and yet, heading into tomorrow, their playoff hopes remain up in the air.

And neither team is truly all that much greater than the other. They each have their strengths (offensive power for the Twins, strong pitching and defense for the Tigers) as well as their flaws (offensive woes for the Tigers, pitching issues for the Twins). And obviously they have the same records.

But which one will win? Unfortunately, the Twins do have one added advantage: the Metrodome. Oh, the dreaded dome. Most visitors hate it, and our Tigers are no exception. They have won just twice there, and one of those took 16 innings.

And then, of course, there's momentum, aka Big Mo. I think one thing that often seperates succesful sports experts from sports experts who always get it wrong is their ability to understand Big Mo. It is a determining factor in several games that appears to have no exact science. Believe me, if I could completely explain to you, I would. Part of it is evaluating, but the second, more imporpant principle is being able to feel it.

So who has the Big Mo? One could likely make a case for either team. The Twins are on an extreme hot streak, came from behind, and are playing in front of their home crowd. The Tigers, well maybe it's not as easy making a case for them. Let's just settle for the fact that since they have led the division most of the year, there is a definitely a feeling of superiority. Also key here is whether or not the Twins will keep their firepower going.

As of right now, I couldn't tell you. My feel part isn't talking.

Regardless of Big Mo, one thing is for sure. If the Tigers plan on winning at the Metrodome, they will need some offense. As good as Rick Porcello is, I doubt that he is capable of keeping a high-powered Minnesota Twins offense from scoring any less than 3 runs. So obviously the Tigers will have to fight fire with fire.

The Tiger offense has been feast or famine all year long, and if they plan on winning Tuesday, they better go with the first of those two.