Porcello, Tigers should win Tues., make playoffs

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After 162 games, the Detroit Tigers and Minnesota Twins need one more game to decide who will represent the American League Central Division in this year’s playoffs.

Both teams sit at 86-76, but each is going in completely different directions approaching the one-game playoff, which begins at 5 p.m. at the Metrodome in Minneapolis.

For the Tigers, a win Tuesday would give them the chance to forget about the past 26 games. Since the team began September with a six-game winning streak, Detroit is 10-16 since Sept. 8.

For the Twins, a win on Tuesday would be the latest win in their comeback journey. While the Tigers have floundered since Sept. 8, the Twins have gone 17-9 during that span, including a current four-game winning streak.

But once the first pitch is thrown Tuesday, those numbers can be thrown out the window. Tuesday’s game — and really, the entire season — comes down to the matchup on the mound between Detroit’s Rick Porcello (14-9, 4.04) and Minnesota’s Scott Baker (15-9, 4.36).

And that matchup — regardless of what has happened in the past month — sits completely in Detroit’s favor.

Tuesday will be the third time in the past 18 days that the 20-year-old Porcello has faced the Twins. The Tigers lost both of the prior outings, but neither were the fault of the rookie.

Take into account his last start against Minnesota, the opening game of the Sept. 29 day-night doubleheader. Porcello held the Twins to one run on seven hits in 6 1/3 innings. He did his job — allowing just a fifth-inning sacrifice fly to Denard Span — before back-to-back wild pitches by Brandon Lyon set off a two-run 10th inning for the Twins.

The start before that, Porcello gave up all three runs in a 3-0 loss at the Metrodome. The only blemishes in that outing were a two-run homer to Michael Cuddyer in the fourth and a Delmon Young RBI double in the sixth, as fellow rookie starter Brian Duensing held the Tigers to just four hits in 6 1/3 innings.

Other than Justin Verlander, who stepped up in his past two starts to deliver two much-needed wins for Detroit, Porcello is the guy the club wants on the mound with the season on the line. The team’s record of 18-12 with Porcello pitching is second only to Verlander (23-12) in terms of wins.

In his short career against the Twins, only one guy — Jason Kubel, who is 8-for-11 against the rookie —really has bothered Porcello. Young is 4-for-9 against Porcello, but Joe Mauer (1-for-9) and Michael Cuddyer (2-for-9) have been nonexistent.

Meanwhile, Minnesota starting pitcher Scott Baker has struggled mightily against Detroit this season, going 1-1 with a 6.75 ERA in four starts.

Magglio Ordonez (.462 batting average, two homers and six RBIs) and Carlos Guillen (.407 batting average) have hit Baker well throughout their careers, while Curtis Granderson and Marcus Thames (four home runs and six RBIs a piece) also have experienced success against the right-hander.

If — and with Detroit’s offense, “if” is the crucial word — the Tiger bats can give Porcello any type of run support, Porcello’s gifted right arm should lead the Tigers to their first division title since 1987.

Cash Kruth is the State News sports administration reporter. He can be reached at kruthcas@msu.edu.

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