KEY STATS
Jacob Turner, 3 IP, 7 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 2 HR
Ryan Raburn, 3-for-4
KEY PLAY
Baltimore's Nolan Reimold drove in Adam Jones for the game winner
KEY THOUGHTS
In the game thread, RealityIsOptionable compared post-clinch games to spring training. He's kind of on to something. It's wonderful to clinch early. I wouldn't want to change a thing. But the baseball for the past few days hasn't exactly kept me glued to the screen, and I don't think I'm alone in saying that. The fans didn't even come out to this game. The Tigers returned home as AL Central Division champs only to have their smallest home crowd (less than 28,000) since interleague play against the Mets. It's not even the baseball itself. It's just the total lack of real drama when you already know your team is going to the playoffs. What's the worst that can happen, you play the first two games on the road? Eh, whatever.
In this game, Jacob Turner, on 20 days rest, was rather rusty. 3 IP, 7 hits, 2 home runs allowed ... shrug. But the Tigers rallied back to a 5-5 tie thanks to Delmon Young's home run during a four-run fifth. So that kept Turner from being tabbed with the loss.
Then David Pauley gave up a run in the sixth, and the rest of the game kind of lulled until it ended. I don't think I'm projecting too much to call the final few innings a sleepy affair.
Anyway, at least the Rangers lost. The Angels are tied, and the Rays are winning. Might there be a 3-team tie for the wild card? That would certainly be ... interesting. If both LA and TB win they're just 2 games behind Boston. Check out ESPN.com for a story by Jayson Stark on how it would work.