tie breaker game tie breaker game game extension major_league_baseball mlb regular season played detroit_tigers determine champion american_league played minneapolis minnesota october twins won game extra innings advanced division series swept new_york_yankees tigers failed qualify postseason tie breaker necessary teams finished season identical win loss records twins won regular season series tigers games awarded home field rules change prior season tie breaker played mlb second consecutive title chicago_white_sox defeated twins win division baseball statistics tie breakers counted regular season game played teams events game added regular season statistics twins final regular season game team moved season tie breaker later named sports_illustrated background tigers led central periods start season april ultimately tying lead taking lead outright tigers held share divisional lead onwards holding largest lead games september tigers went september second best month winning percentage won games october twins went respectively stretch tie tigers divisional lead game regular season broadly tigers half season twins twins came second half going leading tie breaker tigers went span twins won team match ups season prior tie breaker late season competition title included game series teams september october series played tigers home field started day night caused night series scheduled start final game series featured moments contention teams inning hit minnesota starter hit marcus thames pitch inning thames responded sliding hard second base break potential double play inning twins threw tigers eighth inning warned tigers bench tigers manager argued ejected despite warning minnesota hit knee pitch ninth inning immediately ejected tigers catcher argued benches cleared brawl suspended games tigers hitting coach acting manager following suspended game fined ultimately game series split wins team tigers maintained game lead games remaining club tigers lost games chicago_white_sox twins swept game set leaving teams tied record game playoff decide winner central division loser eliminated playoff contention prior season home field advantage game decided series coin held end regular season decide home teams possible game playoffs rule change following season altered process leaving site determined series performance based criteria beginning head head record teams tied twins took home field advantage game virtue winning season series tigers game mlb tie breaker seasons record number league october original scheduled date potential game conflict monday night football game played night led baseball game moved following day game summary box score tuesday october minneapolis minnesota game scoreless innings detroit took run lead inning started walked advanced ground scored single center field brought home run home run tigers baseman twins responded inning lead inning advancing second base single moving tigers starter attempted throw hit span went past baseman span able score throwing error score remained 6th inning got batters inning allowed solo home run bring game run walked batter relieved twins loaded bases score inning twins starter walked batter 7th relieved runs scored twins took lead 7th single run home run tigers responded tying game home run 8th allowed walks inning relieved closer escaped inning scoring remained game holding tigers scoreless 9th tigers closer minnesota force extra innings replaced 10th hit pinch hitting pinch ran scored double tigers lead tigers inserted thomas right field defensive replacement 10th twins game led inning triple following walk scored single pinch ran harris advanced single hit fly ball left fielder attempted score play inadvertently base ball caught return base breaking home successfully tagged complete inning ending double play teams held scoreless 11th tigers threatened score 12th walk single kelly twins pitcher intentionally walked load bases hoping induce double play threw fastball close batter pitch believed hit ball advance force ahead run score bases loaded home plate umpire ruled pitch hit allowed bat continue tigers manager later replay kind confirms hit marsh maintained inconclusive ultimately grounded force home close inning scoring led 12th single twins advanced second ground base open tigers intentionally walked bring earlier base running hitting ground ball right infield base hit allowed score second play giving twins walk victory aftermath tie breaker win clinched earned spot division series new_york_yankees swept losing games tigers team mlb history game division lead games remaining lose division mlb tie breaker games count regular season games game affected certain statistical races season example noted umpire agreed contentious 12th inning tied hit pitch american_league twins catcher won american_league batting title final batting average season moved game game later chosen sports_illustrated best regular season game decade
2009 American League Central tie-breaker game