It’s difficult to describe the bevvy of emotions that came to the surface yesterday when the Tigers turned the double play to seal a victory against the Chicago White Sox.

There’s really not a word to describe a mixture of elation, frustration, anger, excitement and pessimism.

Elation at the fact that they are still in the running for the pennant.

Frustration at the fact that all they had to do was take 2 of 3 from the White Sox to win it.

Anger at the fact that they put themselves in a position where they could have lost everything on the last day of play.

Excitement at the prospect of a one game playoff to determine the winner.

Pessimism at the Tigers’ record against the Twins and the thought that such a fateful game will take place in the Metrodome.

Regardless of what the term may be for the combination of such emotions, everyone has to admit that the thought of heading back to the Metrodome for a one game playoff to determine the final outcome of the AL Central is a daunting one and precisely what the Tigers were hoping to avoid.

When you think about how close the Tigers got to wrapping up the division, or how many close games the Tigers ended up losing this season that could have ultimately made the difference, you can’t help but shake your head in disbelief that it has to come down to this.

Regardless of the outcome of Tuesday’s playoff game, you have to give the Minnesota Twins a lot of credit. It takes a special kind of determination to go 16-4 in your last 20 games without two of your biggest bats in the lineup. They managed to make a relatively impossible situation a close one.

And now, due to their outstanding push and the Tigers mediocre play, the pendulum of initiative has swung back wildly in their favor. If you look at the numbers, you have to like the Twins’ chances on Tuesday night.

Rick Porcello will get the nod to pitch on Tuesday despite it being Edwin Jackson’s turn in the rotation.

Whether this represents Jim Leyland’s supreme confidence in the twenty year old righty, or his lack of confidence in Edwin Jackson (who is 1-4 with a 6.88 ERA in his last five starts) is not clear.

The Twins will counter with Scott Baker, who got the win during his last outing on October 1st against the Tigers. He went 5 innings giving up 5 hits and 3 walks, but allowing no runs. Whether this performance can be chalked up to masterful pitching or lackluster Tigers offense is a matter of opinion. But statistically, Baker has had some success against Detroit this season.

In order to pull of the impossible and end the Twins’ Cinderella race to the ALDS, the Tigers will have to play the way we know they’re capable, but have seldom seen, at least not in the same game.

• Porcello – Rick will have to turn in a start similar to the one he had on September 28th vs. Minnesota. He scattered 7 hits and only allowed 1 earned run in 6.1 innings. Overall he is 1-2 with a 3.09 ERA against Minnesota, one of the best that Jim Leyland has.
• Offense – Put simply, they will have to show up. No lead is safe in the Metrodome, just ask Justin Verlander after his September 19th loss in Minnesota. With Baker on the mound, they will likely have plenty of opportunities to score.
• Careful with Kubel - Everyone knows that Joe Mauer is a dangerous hitter with a .364 averae But what few people recognize is how much success Jason Kubel, who hits right behind him, has had against Detroit this season. Kubel has a .383 average with 13 RBIs in 15 games.
• Quiet the Crowd – A playoff atmosphere in the Metrodome, described by several major league players and managers, is the loudest place on Earth. Detroit needs to shut the fans up early to take away this advantage.
• Stop the Running Game – One of the things that makes Minnesota a dangerous team is their ability to move base runners without the benefit of hits. Every time you look up, there’s a Twin in scoring position. Gerald Laird is the best catcher in baseball when it comes to throwing out runners. His 42% caught stealing percentage will surely be a factor in Ron Gardenhire’s managing with men at first.