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 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

The Indians, with six games left on the schedule, announce they have dismissed Eric Wedge, their manager for the past seven years. The Cleveland skipper, whose firing came as no surprise, asks to remain in the dugout to manage the fifth-place Tribe for the remainder of the season.

51,000 fans turn out for what should be the final regular-season game to be played at the Metrodome, but the Twins extend their season with a 13 – 4 defeat of the Royals. Mid-season acquisition Carl Pavano picks up the win, completing a remarkable comeback season that sees him go 14-12 after three nightmarish years with the New York Yankees, and Delmon Young hits two home runs. Combined with the Tigers’ 5 – 3 victory over the White Sox, highlighted by Ryan Raburn’s two long balls, the Twins’ win forces a one-game playoff that will be played in two days, as the dome is being used for a Monday night football game in the meantime.

On the last day of the season in the team’s 10-2 victory at Tampa Bay, the Yankees break a franchise record, thanks to Alex Rodriguez’s three-run blast in the ten-run sixth inning, by hitting their 243rd homer of the season. In the same frame, A-Rod goes deep again, this time with the bases loaded, to extend the club’s mark, and the third baseman sets a new American League record, collecting seven RBI’s in one inning.

On the last day of the campaign, Miguel Tejada hits a fourth-inning double off Nelson Figueroa in the Astros’ 4-0 loss in New York to finish the season with 46, the most in the National League. The Astros’ shortstop, who also was tops the AL with 50 two-baggers playing for the Orioles in 2005, is the first player in baseball history to have led both leagues in doubles.