Top News:
Aaron / AaronGleeman.com:
The Beginning? — That was kind of amazing. — When the Twins lost in Detroit last Wednesday it looked (to me at least) like the season was over, save for “a miracle if things break perfectly for the Twins and horribly for the Tigers.” They were three games back with four games left …
Discussion:
6-4-2
RELATED:
Associated Press:
Twins force one-game playoff with Tigers — MINNEAPOLIS - Hang on to those Homer Hankies: The Metrodome isn't ready to close for baseball just yet. — Jason Kubel got those familiar white towels waving with a pair of three-run homers and Minnesota beat Kansas City 13-4 Sunday …
Discussion:
NY Daily News, TigerBlog, Bless You Boys, USA Today, Twinkie Town, Boston Herald and Yahoo! Sports
Mark Newman / MLB.com:
Tigers, Twins to go beyond on Tuesday — AL Central foes to decide division title in one-game tiebreaker — Beyond 162. — For the third consecutive year — the longest such streak in MLB history — the regular season will go beyond the limit and require a playoff tiebreaker to finalize the postseason field.
MLB.com:
2009 MLB Postseason Schedule* — Teams That Have Clinched a Postseason Berth: — NOTE: In the Division Series, the New York Yankees will host the AL Central Champion (winner of the Tuesday, Oct. 6th DET @ MIN tie-breaker), while the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim will host the Boston Red Sox.
RELATED:
Amalie Benjamin / Boston Globe:
Official: Lester in Game 1, Beckett in 2 — With both Jon Lester and Josh Beckett healthy after recent scares — a ball to the knee for Lester, cortisone shots in the back for Beckett — manager Terry Francona announced the Red Sox' postseason pitching rotation after today's game.
Discussion:
Baseball Analysts, sox1fan.com, MLB FanHouse, Yahoo! Sports, Fox Sports and The Joy of Sox
Tony Massarotti / Boston Globe:So when do the playoffs start? Good question
Discussion:
Angels Unplugged
Bryan Hoch / MLB.com:
Yanks set club record with 243rd homer — With two in one inning, A-Rod breaks '04 record, ties McGwire — ST. PETERSBURG — Alex Rodriguez helped the Yankees set a new franchise record for home runs in a single season, punctuating the final day of the campaign by sending two homers …
RELATED:
Mark Feinsand / Blogging The Bombers:
Yankees to open Wednesday against ... somebody — It's official: the Yankees will start the playoffs on Wednesday. — The team is unlikely to make any formal announcement until the conclusion of Tuesday night's Tigers-Twins playoff, but Joe Girardi informed CC Sabathia after today's …
Marty Noble / MLB.com:
Mets have season to disremember — The initials ‘DL’ figure prominently in team's lost year — NEW YORK — David Wright had hit the pitch soundly and in the general direction of a come-from-behind victory. This one had carry, and, unlike many of his well-struck drives at Citi Field …
RELATED:
Associated Press:
Arizona beats Cubs in finale of miserable year — Doug Davis gave the Arizona Diamondbacks a win over the Chicago Cubs in the finale of disappointing seasons for both teams. — Davis pitched eight strong innings and Chris Young homered Sunday. leading the Diamondbacks to a 5-2 victory.
Discussion:
Bleed Cubbie Blue
RELATED:
Adam McCalvy / MLB.com:
Brewers want new pitching coach quickly — Hire will have some say in filling of other openings — ST. LOUIS — Brewers general manager Doug Melvin plans to move fast in his search for a new pitching coach. — “I hope to do the pitching thing within 2-3 weeks,” Melvin said Sunday …
RELATED:
Mike Martindale / Detroit News:
Police: Drunk Cabrera picked up, released after 911 call from home — Birmingham — Detroit Tigers slugger Miguel Cabrera was taken in for questioning early Saturday morning based on a 911 call made from his home by his wife, Birmingham Police Chief Richard Patterson said Monday.
Discussion:
Mack Avenue Tigers
RELATED:
Jon Heyman / Sports Illustrated:
Could Valentine be Marlins' manager? … Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria is said to be less than satisfied with his team's standing, and in a fairly shocking development is apparently considering replacing well-regarded manager Fredi Gonzalez, who has been widely praised for his performance this season.
RELATED:
New York Post:
Minaya might hire fired GMs — Omar Minaya reached out to Kevin Towers and J.P. Ricciardi over the weekend to express his support after the two were fired as general managers and also to lay the groundwork to speak to both soon about possible jobs in the Mets' organization, The Post has learned.
John Tomase / Boston Herald:
Pitches up, Clay Buchholz down — + Recent Articles + Recent Blog Entries + Email + Bio — Two garbage-time starts in what amounts to glorified spring training aren't cause for concern about Clay Buchholz' postseason readiness, right? — Right? — For the second straight outing …
