1. Center of attention: After a season of leading the AL Central division, the Tigers couldn’t keep their lead on the last day of the season. They fell in extra innings to the Royals while the Twins won to take the division. Detroit was winning 6-0 in the third inning but couldn’t keep their lead, even against the awful Royals offense. The game was tied 8-8 heading into extra innings, when the Tigers decided to send in starter Kenny Rogers. This seems like a stupid decision to us, and it backfired when Rogers allowed the game-winning runs. Detroit lost to finish the year at 95-67. Meanwhile, the Twins ousted the White Sox 5-1 to take the division title. They finished with a 96-66 record, and their players had numerous achievements. Joe Mauer went 2-4 and won the AL batting title at .347. He became the first catcher ever to win the title. Johan Santana, though he didn’t pitch yesterday, finished as the American League leader in wins, strikeouts, and ERA to take the Triple Crown. He led virtually every pitching category there is. And Justin Morneau, the sudden MVP candidate, hit an RBI in the finale to finish with a robust 130. The Twins roll into the playoffs.
2. Backing in: The St. Louis Cardinals lost but still clinched the NL Central division for the third year in a row. Though the Brewers beat them 5-3 and they finished at a middling 83-78. They lost 9 of their last 12 games and will be the coldest team entering the postseason. This is almost the opposite of the past two years, when the team finished with over 100 wins each year. But they’ll still make the postseason, and Albert Pujols and Chris Carpenter have played like MVP and Cy Young candidates again. Pujols posted career-best numbers in homeruns (49) and RBIs (137), while Carpenter was second in the league in ERA. They’ve been the only real reasons this team is even close to the playoffs.
3. 1-2 punch: Remember how alarmingly awful the NL West division was last year? The Padres barely finished with a winning record yet still made the playoffs. But this year, this division is home to the Wild Card winner as well and both teams look dangerous. The San Diego Padres and Los Angeles Dodgers both finished at 88-74, and both will make the postseason. Both teams are among the hottest in baseball, and both won yesterday. The Padres won their second straight West title because of a tiebreaker: they went 13-5 against the Dodgers this season. The Padres seemingly have their number, and that will come in handy if the teams face each other in the NLCS.
4. Not this year: The Astros had made the playoffs for two straight seasons, making an incredible run at the end of each year. This year, they played like animals in September once again. But they won’t be seeing any more postseason play. Houston lost to the Braves two out of three times over the weekend, ending their aspirations of overtaking the Cardinals. John Smoltz’s 16th win yesterday actually tied him for the National League lead. Six pitchers have that exact amount, which is one of the lowest league-leading totals ever. Anyway, the Stros are out of October play this year.
5. Matchups: Here are the playoff matchups, as finalized yesterday. In the American League, the Twins play the A’s and the Tigers face the Yankees. In the National League, the Mets take on the Dodgers while the Cardinals and Padres face off. This should make for a wildly entertaining postseason.
