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The American League Central is all tied up after 161 regular season games, as Freddy Garcia and the Chicago White Sox handed the Tigers their third straight loss, 5-1, at Comerica Park.
Detroit held a seven-game lead over Minnesota on September 6 but has since gone 10-15. The Twins have inched their way back into the division race and finally caught the Tigers with Saturday's 5-4 win over Kansas City.
If both teams win on Sunday, there will be a one-game playoff played in Minnesota on Tuesday to determine who will play the AL East champion New York Yankees in the Division Series.
The Tigers leave their fate in the hands of ace Justin Verlander, while the offense tries to figure out John Danks in the regular season finale after Garcia (3-4) scattered one run, six hits and a walk in seven-plus innings in the middle test of this three-game set.
Alex Rios went 4-for-5 with three RBI, and Carlos Quentin added a solo homer in Chicago's fifth win in six games.
Rookie Alfredo Figaro (2-2) was forced into a spot-start -- just the third of his career -- and gave up two runs on three hits and a pair of walks while recording just four outs for Detroit.
Rick Porcello was scheduled to pitch Saturday, but a rainout on Monday forced the rookie hurler out of the normal rotation.
Quentin led off the second with a homer off Figaro, who later loaded the bases and was pulled with one out. Fu-Te Ni faced one batter, inducing a run-scoring fielder's choice at second -- thanks to a between-the-legs flip by Placido Polanco -- off the bat of Scott Podsednik.
Rios singled in a run in the third off Armando Galarraga and added a two-out, RBI hit in the fifth off Ryan Perry to make it 4-0.
After the Sox wasted a bases-loaded chance in the top of the eighth, the Tigers got their first two hitters on in the bottom half, signaling the end of Garcia's night.
Polanco greeted Tony Pena with an RBI single through the left side, bringing the tying run to the plate for the heart of the Detroit lineup. That was all the Tigers got, however, as Magglio Ordonez lined out to short and Miguel Cabrera grounded into a tailor-made 6-4-3 double play.
The Sox got the run back in the ninth on another Rios single, and Matt Thornton finished the game with a scoreless bottom half.
Detroit held a seven-game lead over Minnesota on September 6 but has since gone 10-15. The Twins have inched their way back into the division race and finally caught the Tigers with Saturday's 5-4 win over Kansas City.
If both teams win on Sunday, there will be a one-game playoff played in Minnesota on Tuesday to determine who will play the AL East champion New York Yankees in the Division Series.
The Tigers leave their fate in the hands of ace Justin Verlander, while the offense tries to figure out John Danks in the regular season finale after Garcia (3-4) scattered one run, six hits and a walk in seven-plus innings in the middle test of this three-game set.
Alex Rios went 4-for-5 with three RBI, and Carlos Quentin added a solo homer in Chicago's fifth win in six games.
Rookie Alfredo Figaro (2-2) was forced into a spot-start -- just the third of his career -- and gave up two runs on three hits and a pair of walks while recording just four outs for Detroit.
Rick Porcello was scheduled to pitch Saturday, but a rainout on Monday forced the rookie hurler out of the normal rotation.
Quentin led off the second with a homer off Figaro, who later loaded the bases and was pulled with one out. Fu-Te Ni faced one batter, inducing a run-scoring fielder's choice at second -- thanks to a between-the-legs flip by Placido Polanco -- off the bat of Scott Podsednik.
Rios singled in a run in the third off Armando Galarraga and added a two-out, RBI hit in the fifth off Ryan Perry to make it 4-0.
After the Sox wasted a bases-loaded chance in the top of the eighth, the Tigers got their first two hitters on in the bottom half, signaling the end of Garcia's night.
Polanco greeted Tony Pena with an RBI single through the left side, bringing the tying run to the plate for the heart of the Detroit lineup. That was all the Tigers got, however, as Magglio Ordonez lined out to short and Miguel Cabrera grounded into a tailor-made 6-4-3 double play.
The Sox got the run back in the ninth on another Rios single, and Matt Thornton finished the game with a scoreless bottom half.
Let's watch who will be the winner...
