Tigers fall in 12th
10/6/2009MINNEAPOLIS — Alexi Casilla's one-out single in the bottom of the 12th inning scored Carlos Gomez from second base and the Minnesota Twins beat Detroit 6-5 in the AL Central tiebreaker Tuesday night, completing a colossal collapse for the Tigers.
The Tigers became the first team in baseball history to blow a three-game lead with four games left. The Twins went 17-4 to pull even on the final weekend, then emerged with their fifth division title in eight years.
Baseball's only real pennant race this season needed an extra game, and extra innings to finish off a thriller that got better with every pitch.
As Homer Hankies spiraled around the Metrodome, the Twins celebrated. They had 21 hours to get ready for Game 1 of the AL playoffs at Yankee Stadium.