Whatever the case, the game shifted back and forth. And at times it seemed almost inevitable that it would end, right then and there.
It looked like the Tigers had it when Rick Porcello struck out Joe Maur for the second out in the bottom of the six inning, while the Tigers led, 3-1. But then Jason Kubel stepped up and homered to right field. Brand new ballgame.
It looked like the Twins might wrap it up in regulation when Orlando Cabrera hit a lead-changing two-run shot, making it 4-3. Then Magglio Ordonez, the Tigers' hottest hitter, stepped up and tied it in the eight with a solo home run.
Then along came the ninth. The Tigers put runners on the corners after a bloop single followed a bunt single. All with nobody out. But Joe Nathan struck out Placido Polanco and then forced Ordonez to line into double play.
A lineout double play? A strikeout from Polanco?
That's cold.
The Twins threatened in the ninth as well, where it probably would have ended had it not been for a great diving stop by Brandon Inge. And Inge seemed set on course for hero of the game after he smacked a go-ahead double to score Don Kelly in the 10th. Inge worked so hard in this one, and yet his team still lost.
That's cold.
So how did the Twins respond to Inge? In their half of the tenth, Michael Cuddyer hit what probably should have been a bloop single to left field. Ryan Raburn, sprinting for the ball, took a dive and missed it completely. By the time Curtis Granderson threw the ball in, Cuddyer was sliding into third. Ryan Tolbert would single up the middle to score Cuddyer. When Nick Punto hit a fly ball with Alexi Cassila on third base it looked like the Twins had the Tigers finished. But Raburn redeemed himself by gunning out Cassila at the plate to end the inning.
I'm sure that at the time the Tigers were relieved to still be in the game. But on the other hand, I'm sure they were disappointed that they hadn't been able to end the game. They would have if they had been able to hold the Twins off.
They came very close, but the Twins struck back and tied it, terminating the Tigers' chances of early victory. And the Tigers went on to lose the game.
That's cold.
In the top half of the 12th, the Tigers loaded the bases. Then came the Inge call. Inge would ground into a force out at home for the second out. Then came a strikeout from Gerald Laird. And the Tigers proved, once again, how hard it is to drive in runners from scoring position when you're wearing a jersey that bears the old English D.
In the bottom half of the 12th, Jim Leyland decided to leave Fernando Rodney in the game, which has had me scratching my head ever since the move was made. Of course, Rodney blew it. Scott Gomez singled to lead off and was bunted to second. Then Alexi Casilla stepped up and singled him home to win the game. It wasn't Rodney's fault. He was being overused. The Tigers' closer threw 48 pitches in the game, which was 13 more than his previous season-high of 35.
Fernando Rodney, who had been one of the team's most reliable players, was hung out to dry in the 12th, and lost the game.
That's cold.
Now give some credit to the Minnesota Twins. They hung in this race all through the year, despite the fact that they often appeared to be fighting a losing battle (early in September, the Twins trailed by as many as 7 games). They stayed strong despite pitching issues and late injuries of Justin Morneau and Joe Crede. They fought hard, and it finally paid off. They deserve a spot in the postseason.
Then again, a huge conflict heading into Tuesday's game was that, well, both teams seemed to be deserving of a spot in the playoffs. Was it really fair that one of them, ultimately, would have to go home? One would think that the Tigers had performed well enough to head to the postseason. The problem was that, on Tuesday, they didn't show it.
And that, without a doubt, is cold.
1 comment:
Great article. It was a heartbreaker. But you're right, the Twins hustled to get there.
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