The Minnesota Twins and Chicago White Sox will meet in a one-game tiebreaker this evening at U.S. Cellular Field to determine the American League Central title.

Chicago, which was swept in a three-game set by the Twins last week, caught a break when it won the coin toss, allowing the game to be played in the Windy City, where Minnesota lost seven of its nine games played this season. I am still trying to figure why the Twins, who had a 10-8 edge head-to-head against the White Sox, had to play on the road after a coin flip. It's just another thing baseball doesn't get right.

This is the AL's fourth tiebreaker contest and the first since Seattle beat the California Angels for the AL West title 1995. Last season, Colorado beat San Diego 9-8 in 13 innings in an NL wild-card tiebreaker game.

Of course, the winner of tonight's contest will play the AL East champion Tampa Bay Rays in the ALDS starting on Thursday at Tropicana Field. 

TWINS WRITER NOT OPTIMISTIC
LaVelle E. Neal of the Star-Tribune gives 6 reasons the Twins will lose:

1.The game was sold out within a hour. It will be the most hostile environment many Twins players will have experienced to this point in their careers. I have NOT forgotten the 2003 All-Star Game in Chicago, when fans booed Eddie Guardado mercilessly during introductions.

2. The Sox have called it a black out game. They have urged all fans to dress in black and will hand out black, `Sox Pride’ towels. The place will rock.

3. The Sox hate playing in the Dome to the point where they feel they the Twins can’t beat them at The Cell. I’m not kidding. Sox officials told me last week that they can’t wait until the Twins move out the Dome because the Twins get away with bloops and chop hits and luck - I guess they’ve forgotten the 90-something horseshoes they had up their rears in 2005. But they are convinced that the Twins are a different team out of the Dome. I agree. The home-road splits back that up. But it’s not because of bloop hits, it’s because their pitchers - especially the relievers - have been awful at times on the road.

4. The Sox hate losing to the Twins. Read this…and this. The Sox talk more stuff about the Twins than any team I know. They will be fired up. Expect A. J. Pierzynski to be at his best tonight.

5. Weather. It’s expected to be in the 60’s with wind gusts up to 30 mph blowing toward center-right center. Not good for a fly ball pitcher like Blackburn.

6. Nick Blackburn. Is he ready for what he’s about to experience? Sox fans will be all over him. Ozzie Guiilen talks like his team is about to make mincemeat out of him. Blackburn was 0-2 with 7.20 ERA in The Cell this season. The wind is blowing the WRONG way. He’s got to keep the ball down and mix his pitches - and the batting champion catcher needs to make sure he does that!