The Rockies even their Division Series with a 5 – 4 win over the Phillies at Citizens Bank Park. They jump for four runs in five innings against 2008 Postseason hero Cole Hamels, highlighted by Yorvit Torrealba’s two-run homer in the 4th. The Phillies mount a comeback with 3 runs off Aaron Cook in the 6th and a solo homer by Jayson Werth in the 8th, but Huston Street closes out the game with a scoreless inning of relief for the save.

The Cardinals litterally drop the ball in their NLDS encounter with the Dodgers. With the Cards leading 2 – 1 with two outs and none on in the bottom of the 9th, Matt Holliday drops James Loney’s line drive for a two-base error. Four batters later, pinch hitter Mark Loretta hits a soft single to center off Ryan Franklin, and the Dodgers win, 3 – 2.

The Los Angeles Angels open their fourth Division Series in recent years against the Boston Red Sox in an unusual manner – with a win. John Lackey pitches 7 1/3 scoreless innings and Torii Hunter hits a three-run homer off Jon Lester in the 5th to drive the 5 – 0 win.

A ninth-inning error by left fielder Matt Holliday with the bases empty and two-out leads to the Dodgers’ stunning 3-2 walk-off victory and gives LA a commanding 2-0 game advantage in the NLDS. After the crucial miscue on the sinking line drive, Cardinals’ closer Ryan Franklin gives up RBI singles to Ronnie Belliard and pinch-hitter Mark Loretta to complete the improbable two-run comeback rally.

2009 – In the first ALDS, New York beats Minnesota, 7 – 2, in the first postseason game to be played in New Yankee Stadium. Just like old times, Derek Jeter has a key hit, a game-tying home run off Brian Duensing in the 2nd inning. The Yankees and CC Sabathia roll from that point on, with Alex Rodriguez and Hideki Matsui, who blasts a two-run homer, collecting the key hits in the 5th inning.

In the other NLDS, the Dodgers take a one game to none lead with a 5 – 3 win over the Cardinals and Chris Carpenter. Los Angeles’ bullpen compensates for Randy Wolf’s shaky start as five relievers give up a single run over 5 1/3 innings. Matt Kemp homers for the Dodgers.

Detroit loses, 6 – 5, to Minnesota in a one-game playoff to determine the winner of the AL Central title. Alexi Casilla singles home the winning run with one out in the 12th inning. The Tigers had led the division by 3 games with 4 to play, and were ahead by 7 games on September 6th before sputtering down the stretch. Tigers 1B Miguel Cabrera, under a swirl of controversy over allegations of impaired driving and domestic violence, hits an early home run to put Detroit ahead, but is thrown out at home by Nick Punto in the top half of the 12th. It is the last regular-season game to be played at the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome. Following the 2010 season, a panel of experts at the MLB Network will vote this the 16th greatest game of the past fifty years.

Joe Mauer wins his third batting title, becoming the first player to accomplish the feat in consecutive seasons since Nomar Garciaparra led the league in 1999-2000. The Twins catcher’s .365 mark establishes a major league record for the highest batting average by a backstop.

With one out in the bottom of the 12th inning in the AL Central tiebreaker, the Twins beat the Tigers, 6-5, when Alexi Casilla’s single plates Carlos Gomez from second base with the winning run. The Metrodome victory finishes an amazing comeback by Minnesota, going 17-4 in the final month to close a seven-game deficit, and completes a colossal collapse for the Tigers, who become the first team in big league history to surrender a three-game lead with only four contests to play.

In his postseason debut, Cliff Lee comes within one pitch of a shutout before Troy Tulowitzki doubles in a run in the 9th as Philadelphia defeats Colorado, 5 – 1, in Game 1 of their NLDS. Raul Ibanez has two RBI for the Phillies.