Tigers owe Twins a comeback for a playoff spot

In 1987, 2006 and 2009, the Twins have ruined the Tigers' party. It's time for payback.

The Tigers probably won’t make the playoffs. There’s still too much of a gap to overcome in a few weeks.

But if they DO, and it’s the Twins they end up overtaking, our friends in Minnesota will have it coming.

Tigers fans are still sour about 1987. And 2006. And 2009. As they should be.

1987

In ‘87, the Tigers and Blue Jays gave baseball fans all over the country a final week to remember. After a soul-sucking loss in Toronto on the next-to-last Saturday of the season, the Tigers were 3.5 games behind the Blue Jays for first place with 8 days to go. The loss was the Tigers’ third straight one-run capitulation in that horrible Exhibition Stadium.

It was after that loss that Kirk Gibson, still in his dirty, sweaty uniform, gave his now famous analysis of his team’s chances of winning the division.

“Maybe we’re setting the biggest bear trap in history,” Gibby said.

The next day, Gibson hit a game-tying HR in the ninth inning off Blue Jays closer Tom Henke, then drove in the winning run in a thrilling, 3-2 win in 13 innings.

The Blue Jays never did win another game the rest of the way. The Brewers swept them in Toronto, while the Tigers split four games with the Orioles in Detroit.

The scene was set in Detroit: Blue Jays in town for three games. The Tigers were one game behind. If they could win 2 of those games, they’d force a one-game playoff for the division. If they could sweep, they’d win the division outright. The Jays needed only 2 wins that weekend to win the East.

The Tigers swept, as you know. All seven of those Tigers-Jays games in the final week were decided by one run—which you may not have known.

The ALCS pitted the Tigers and Twins.

The 98-win Tigers, however, would have to start the best-of-seven series in that dreaded Metrodome, despite the Twins only having 85 wins.

Why? Because back then, MLB rotated home field advantage, despite regular season records.

The Twins, with their deafening crowds and those damn “homer hankies,” buzzed through the Tigers, 4-1 after winning Games 1 and 2 in Minnesota.

2006

In 2006, the Tigers were 76-36 in early-August and led the Twins by 10.5 games.

From that point on came a slow death. Drip-drip.

The Tigers finished 19-31 and the Twins got red hot.

When the season ended, the Tigers, who had been in first place since mid-May, finished second in the Central Division, one game behind the Twins.

A gut punch, but it was soothed by the Tigers advancing to the World Series.

2009

In 2009, the Tigers, in first place since early-May, beat the Twins 6-5 on Sept. 29 to give themselves a 3-game lead over the Twinkies with 4 games to play. The magic number was 2.

No matter. The Tigers lost to Minnesota the next day, then lost 2 of 3 to the White Sox in Detroit, while the Twins were sweeping the Royals at home.

That set up a one-game playoff for the division. In Minnesota, of course. In that damn dome. Of course.

In Detroit, it will forever be known as Game 163. Just like how it’s called The Fumble in Cleveland.

The Tigers staked themselves to a 3-0 lead in the third inning.

Then, more drip-drip.

The Twins cut the lead to 3-1 in the third, then 3-2 in the sixth. They took the lead, 4-3 in the seventh. The Tigers tied the game in the eighth.

The game went into extra innings.

The Tigers pushed across a run in the 10th. The Twins tied it.

In the 12th, Brandon Inge’s jersey was hit by a pitch. The bases were loaded. The HBP drove in the go-ahead run.

WAIT!

The umpires ruled, contrary to replay evidence that wasn’t in use back then, that Inge was NOT hit. His at-bat continued. He hit into a force out at home plate. The Tigers didn’t score.

The Twins won the game in the bottom of the 12th. They once again snatched the division from the Tigers, who once again came from ahead to lose it.

But in 2009, there was no wild card possibility for Detroit. It was division or go home.

2024

The Tigers owe the Twins a comeback.

It’s been 37 years coming. Three times, the Twins have overtaken the Tigers in some pretty odd ways. Once with a home field advantage they didn’t earn, and twice by pecking away at the Tigers’ lead in the division until they won the thing on the season’s last day.

The Twins have it coming. Baseball gods, are you listening?