DETROIT, Michigan (AFP) - The Detroit Tigers and Minnesota Twins each won their Major League Baseball regular-season finale on Sunday to remain deadlocked for the last vacant berth in the championship playoffs.

After a six-month regular season, the Tigers and Twins each finished level atop the American League Central Division at 86-76, setting up a one-game tie-breaker Tuesday at Minnesota to decide which will qualify for the playoffs.

Ryan Raburn hit two home runs and Magglio Ordonez added a solo homer to give Detroit a 5-3 home victory over the Chicago White Sox while the Twins defeated Kansas City 13-4 to keep pace after pulling even with Detroit on Saturday.

Either the Tigers or the Twins will face the New York Yankees in the first round of the American League playoffs while the Boston Red Sox and Los Angeles Angels meet in the other AL first-round series.

The National League playoffs will feature the Los Angeles Dodgers against St. Louis in the first round while the reigning World Series champion Philadelphia Phillies face the Colorado Rockies in the first round.

Minnesota could become the first team in baseball history to trail by three games with four to play and win a division crown while the Tigers, who have led the AL Central since May 10, risk an epic last-week collapse.

The tie-breaker was pushed back a day later than usual because the Twins, who won the right to host the Tigers by winning more games this season between the clubs, play in the same domed stadium as the Minnesota Vikings, who entertain arch-rival Green Bay on Monday night.

It could be the final Baseball game in the Metrodome, which has been the home of the Twins for 28 seasons. The Twins will move into a new open-air ballpark next season, leaving the Metrodome to the Vikings.

It won't be the final baseball game in the Metrodome....Twins will take this one.....

twins are the hotter team right now.

I love it. One game to decide if you live to see the playoffs, or if you head home for the winter. Two great managers who place a great deal of stock in the fundamentals of the game. All hands on deck available to pitch-Johnny Wholestaff. Can't wait for Tuesday!

i love to see this...At the same time though i wish they had a tie breaker between the two in their season series. Its too hard in baseball to determine a better team in one game.

hope the twins win, would be nice if the game was in the evening and we could actually watch it....

TBS = visual access to Craig Sager's ... er ... uh ... "unique" sports jacket collection



Season-extending tie-breakers in MLB History

1946 NATIONAL LEAGUE
(best of 3)
October 1: Cardinals 4, @Dodgers 2
October 3: @Cardinals 8, Dodgers 4

1948 AMERICAN LEAGUE
October 4: Indians 8, @Red Sox 3

1951 NATIONAL LEAGUE
(best of 3)
October 1: Giants 3, @Dodgers 1
October 2: Dodgers 10 @Giants 0
October 3: @Giants 5, Dodgers 4

1959 NATIONAL LEAGUE
(best of 3)
September 28: Dodgers 3, @Braves 2
September 29: @Dodgers 6, Braves 5 (12 innings)

1962 NATIONAL LEAGUE
(best of 3)
October 1: @Giants 8, Dodgers 0
October 2: @Dodgers 8, Giants 7
October 3: Giants 6, @Dodgers 4

1978 AMERICAN LEAGUE EAST
October 2: Yankees 5, @Red Sox 4

1980 NATIONAL LEAGUE WEST
October 6: Astros 7, @Dodgers 1

1995 AMERICAN LEAGUE WEST
October 2: @Mariners 9, Angels 1

1998 NATIONAL LEAGUE WILD CARD
September 28: @Cubs 5, Giants 3

1999 NATIONAL LEAGUE WILD CARD
October 4: Mets 5, @Reds 0

2007 NATIONAL LEAGUE WILD CARD
October 1: @Rockies 9, Padres 8 (13 innings)

2008 AMERICAN LEAGUE CENTRAL
September 30: @White Sox 1, Twins 0

get your homer hankies out for this one. fox showed kent hrbek during the royals/ twins game. he was a big guy then but now whoo!! he about took up the whole screen.

TIGERS 3
TWINS 1
end 5

TIGERS 3
TWINS 2
end 6th

TIGERS 3
TWINS 2
mid 7th

In the 11th right now....tied at 5.....Go Twins.....the largest crowd in Metrodome history are getting their moneys worth....

Baseball at it's best.

What a way to end the season.....Twins take it.....now on to the Yankees......Go Twins....

NOTE TO SELF:
In the future, when long nights at work coincide with tie-breaker/postseason Baseball, set your TiVo for longer than 4 ½ hours!


(failed to capture the end of last night's game)

Unbelievably thrilling ballgame! Baseball theatre at its best.

What a game! Now I have an AL team to root for! Go Twins!