Ache #8: Black Out Game 163

When you mention "Game 163" up here in Twins Territory, most Twins fans will smile. They remember Alexi Casilla knocking in Carlos Gomez in the bottom of the 10th inning for the 2009 AL Central title.

What fans have erased from their memory is the Game 163 when the ball didn't bounce their way. The Blackout Game 163 against the Chicago White Sox on September 30th, 2008.

A little background on the 2008 season first: nobody expected the Twins to even be relevant enough for a Game 163. Torii Hunter had signed with the Angels after the 2007 season. Johan Santana was traded to the Mets for a handful of prospects. The Twins also lost Carlos Silva in free agency to the Mariners, and traded pitcher Matt Garza to the Devil Rays for Delmon Young and utility infielder Brendan Harris.

Francisco Liriano's dominant rookie season had been cut short by Tommy John surgery, which forced him to miss the entire 2007 season. Third base, as it had been since about 1991, was a question mark as well.

The Twins proved the experts wrong.

The young outfield featuring Carlos Gomez (who was centerpiece of the Johan Santana trade), Denard Span (the Twins first round pick in 2002) and Delmon Young (the 2007 Rookie of the Year runner up) held their own. The combination of Nick Punto, Brian Buscher and Brendan Harris at third base didn't solve the long-term need but got the job done.

The young outfield was fun to watch in 2008, even

with the weird cut-off sleeve uniforms

Livan Hernandez won 10 games for the Twins before being placed on waivers in August, while Glen Perkins and Kevin Slowey led the team with 12 wins a piece in a new-look rotation that also featured Nick Blackburn, Scott Baker and occasionally Boof Bonser.

Joe Mauer, Justin Morneau and Joe Nathan were all All-Stars. Morneau won the Home Run Derby. Carlos Gomez hit for the cycle. Mauer won his second Batting Title and his first Gold Glove.

And most importantly, the Twins were in position to win their fifth AL Central title in seven years at the end of September.

After falling to six games under .500 in June, they rattled of 10 wins in a row to get back in the race. After August 1st, the division leader changed 18 times. The Twins were 2.5 games back entering a crutial three game series at the Metrodome with the first place White Sox on September 23rd with 6 games left. The Twins swept the series, including a series finale in which the Twins erased a 6-2 deficit before winning the game in extra innings to take a half game lead into the final regular season series against the lowly Royals (75-87) while the White Sox had a four game series against the Indians (81-81).

All the Twins had to do was beat Gil Meche, and

they couldn't do it...

The Royals won the series against the Twins 2-1. The White Sox split the four game series with Cleveland to force a tie atop the division.

The Coin Flip

The Twins and White Sox finished with an identical 88-74 record, meaning the two teams would play one game to determine the 2008 AL Central champion. A major factor in Game 163 in 2008 would be home field advantage. In 2008, home field advantage during a one-game playoff was determined by a coin flip. The Twins and White Sox were both 53-28 at home and 35-46 on the road, so whomever was given home field would have a considerable advantage. Chicago won the coin flip, so the Twins would have to travel to US Cellular for the game. However, the Twins had won the season series over Chicago 11-8 and fans argued that the Twins should have had home field advantage. The rule was changed during the following off season.

The Game

White Sox fans were encouraged to wear black, which is why the game is referred to by many as The Blackout Game. The Twins started Nick Blackburn (11-11, 4.05 ERA) against John Danks (12-9, 3.32 ERA) who was pitching on three days rest after allowed 7 ER against Cleveland in Game 1 of that series.

Danks allowed 2 hits over 8 scoreless innings. The middle of the Twins lineup (Mauer, Morneau and Cuddyer) went a combined 1-for-9. The one hit was a Michael Cuddyer double in the fifth inning. A Delmon Young sac fly moved Cuddyer to third base with one out. Brendan Harris hit a shallow fly ball to Ken Griffey Jr in centerfield. Cuddyer tried to tag up and score, but Griffey threw a bullet to catcher AJ Pierzinski to gun down Cuddyer at the plate.

Yup. Junior played for the White Sox

Nick Blackburn also pitched a great game, except for one pitch to Jim Thome in the bottom of the seventh inning:

Even though this happened, I still can't hate Jim Thome

Thome's solo blast was the difference maker as the White Sox won the game 1-0 and won the AL Central Division title.

The White Sox would lose to eventual American League Champion Tampa Bay in four games.