Looking back (October 6) | Minnesota Twins vs. Detroit Tigers
One hundred sixty-two games wasn't enough to settle the score between the Twins and the Tigers for the AL Central Championship, so they needed a 163rd. And it turned out to be an instant classic.
Minnesota advanced to the playoffs one year after losing a similar one-game playoff to the Chicago White Sox, surging by the Tigers thanks to a walk-off single by Alexi Casilla in the bottom of the 12th inning, driving in Carlos Gomez and giving the Twins a 6-5 victory.
Though the Tigers jumped out early, thanks to a towering two-run home run by Miguel Cabrera in the third inning, Minnesota battled back, eventually going up 4-3 when shortstop Orlando Cabrera homered in the seventh. After Detroit's Magglio Ordonez homered to tie the game, teammate Brandon Inge doubled in a run in the 10th, putting the Tigers up 5-4.
Yet, the Twins, six games under .500 in mid-August and seemingly out of the race, did what they did all year: claw back. Eight-hitter Matt Tolbert singled in Michael Cuddyer in the bottom of the 10th, setting up Cassila's heroics in the 12th.
Minnesota advanced to take on the Yankees in the American League Division Series, which began yesterday night. Though New York is a heavy favorite, Minnesota's win on Tuesday will go down as one of the best in recent memory.
Looking ahead (October 10) | Football vs. Bowdoin
When the Jumbos' pass defense, ranked first in the NESCAC, collides with Bowdoin's potent air attack, currently averaging 345.5 yards per game, at the Ellis Oval in this Saturday's Homecoming game, something will have to give.
For Tufts, 1-1 this season, returning home could not feel better after a weak two-game road trip in which its offense scored just nine points per contest, including a 7-3 season-opening loss at Wesleyan. But the Jumbos are best on their home grass, accumulating a 10-2 record at the Oval in the past three years.
The Polar Bears, on the other hand, have put up an average of 31 points in their first two contests, including a week-one thrashing of Middlebury, 50-33. Though they were stifled in a 13-12 loss against Amherst, quarterback Oliver Kell and Bowdoin should be hungry to take out some frustration against the Jumbos.
In a log-jammed NESCAC, with six teams at 1-1, Saturday's contest could prove pivotal for gaining momentum, especially for the Jumbos, who take on undefeated Trinity the following week at home. While the outcome has yet to be decided, for two squads whose past five matchups have been decided by an average of 4.8 points, it should come down to the wire.
