The pennant (and wild card) race

[Mal]

Well, first off, sorry to all you Tigers fans. I'd much, much rather do this to the White Sox. Seriously, I feel for Tigers fans. You stuck with them through an awful lot of absolutely atrocious years before turning it around about 5 years ago, and you deserve to not collapse in September.

That said...wooooooohoooooooooo!!! Amazing. I don't even care how badly the Yankees own us and will crush us starting tomorrow afternoon. That's five division titles in 8 years, and I'm celebrating tonight. Man, I love being able to root for the Twins.

[Jim3k]

I really cannot believe this just happened. HBP = run = up 6-5 going into that bottom half. No HBP = no run = ballgame in bottom half of inning. I'm REALLY angry about this game...and I don't normally get angry. I could say more, but the profanity filter will probably ban me.

As an A's fan, I have no dog in the fight (except anybody but the Yankees or the Sawks) but that was a helluva game. I actually think, even though he lost the game, that Rodney was the PotG. He's a flame-throwing closer, not a middle distance reliever. He threw his heart out and could have won.

Both teams made big time mistakes. Raburn misplayed a fly and turned a single into a triple. Made up for it later with a throwout at the plate. But Casilla didn't tag up correctly and lost 1-1/2 to 2 steps. Might have made it, but maybe not. Later made up for it with the GWH. Delmon Young threw to the wrong base. Granderson misread a line drive out and got doubled off. (He might have been safe, but there was no good replay. No one argued, so I guess it was a good call.)

Lots of stuff. I don't think the ump's missed call on the pitch nicking Inge's(?) hanging out shirt was any more serious than any of the other stuff. All could have led to an earlier end.

Plus, former A (hey former whatever) Orlando Cabrera hits a 2 run HR, but later wants to argue strikes with the umpire...

Quite a game with a lot of stuff happening.

All I can say is -- Come back to the Metrodome and win it there.

[throatybeard]

I just can't wait till the Metrodome is a pile of concrete rubble. Don't make me root for the Yankees...

[weezie]

I haven't felt this bad since...oh yeah, the collapse in the World Series!

The shot of GM Dombrowski as he watch the Minnies celebration pretty much mirrored my own feelings. Just shucked and gutted.

[rasputin]

I've been a lifelong Tiger fan, memories go back to about '67. Tonight was tough, ample opportunities and couldn't finish. Doesn't hurt as bad as Duke NCAA tourney losses, but it pains me. Gotta finish, can't let runners on third with one out not score. I still believe in the "suicide squeeze," but not many managers do, especially in the Am League. I'll watch the playoffs and root against the Yankees as always. I just wish my team was playing them. FWIW, Verlander should win the Am League Cy Young.

If Greinke doesn't win the Cy Young, there should be an investigation. It isn't even close.

[rasputin]

I just can't wait till the Metordome is a pile of concrete rubble. Don't make me root for the Yankees...

Well Throaty, I have fond memories of the Metrodome. I saw my first (and so far, only) All-Star game there in 1985. And I was lucky enough to score a couple of tickets to the NCAA finals in 2001. Even in top row nosebleeds, it was a great experience.

[Mal]

Lest anyone get the wrong impression, it's not like the Dome's about to be demolished. Seems like a lot of people think it's closing for business when the baseball season's over. The Vikings still have two+ seasons left on their lease. It's an acceptable venue for professional football, actually. Even if the Vikes leave (new stadium, L.A., whatever) after 2011, I don't know that it would be torn down, at least not soon. It hosts a ton of other events, it keeps the town in the running for Super Bowls and Final Fours (and regionals), Gopher baseball still uses it until it's warm outside, and it's pretty much paid off at this point. It would no longer be much of a revenue producer without the Vikings, but it's actually a pretty important civic location in a place where December-March you can't do much in terms of large gatherings outdoors.

It's just that other baseball teams won't have to endure its horrors anymore, and the Big Ten's football teams won't have the luxury of playing in basically a neutral site in Minnesota anymore.

[InSpades]

If Greinke doesn't win the Cy Young, there should be an investigation. It isn't even close.

Greinke definitely deserves it. And if he doesn't get it then Felix Hernandez would get it. Giving it to Verlander would be a travesty. Great pitcher but his ERA is 3.45. Greinke is at a major league leading 2.16. He's had one of the best pitching years in recent memory if you ask me. It's the best ERA for an AL starting pitcher since Pedro Martinez in 2000. Incidentally that was an incredible year for Pedro. The next best ERA was Clemens who was more than double what Pedro put up (1.74 vs. 3.70).

[cspan37421]

From a lifelong Tiger fan: this hurt. Having said that, we weren't going anywhere had we won, anyway. We didn't deserve to.

I didn't stay up to see Inge get "hit" by the pitch and not have it called to force in a go-ahead run. But I did see a ridiculous pitch called a strike - I think it would have forced in a run in an earlier inning (8th?), but I can't recall for sure. But it nearly hit the batter and it was called a strike (no he didn't fail to check a swing or anything like that).

So they COULD have won. Do I think the SHOULD have won? No. The best team won, and should have won even without the umpire's help. I've seen Rodney blow many a game - that he was on the mound when the Twins plated their 6th came as no surprise to me. Rayburn - he was in for defense! Stupid, stupid play, and poorly executed to boot. If you're going to go for it on a bouncy turf field, be prepared to at least knock it down! If not it'll bounce past you far ... BTW, his throw to the plate was nice but IMO it didn't "make up" anything at all. He was already largely responsible for costing the team the win by putting the tying run on 3rd.

And last but not least, the Tigers probably wouldn't have even had to play last night if their star slugger wasn't out severely drunk last weekend fraternizing with the opposition! (for those who don't know he played very poorly against the WSox leaving many on base).

I feel bad for Verlander and some of the other guys who deserve to be seen in the playoffs on the big stage. But too many guys on the team just weren't nearly good enough, and there aren't enough remaining stars to carry all that dead weight.

The Twins may be very hot right now but keep in mind they finished against a mediocre Tigers team and a bad KC team. There's every reason (on paper) to expect the Yankees to run through them like a buzzsaw.