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Only three times since 1901 has an MLB team come from three games behind with four to play. That's a smaller number than the total of unassisted triple plays in the same span. It's a smaller number than the total of perfect games in that span. It's even a smaller number than Hall of Famers who went by animal names in everyday conversation (Goose Goslin, Catfish Hunter, Mule Suttles and Rabbit Maranville, for starters). But the Minnesota Twins became the first to make the postseason by beating the Tigers Tuesday night.

Now the question is would an encore be an even greater upset?

The Yankees took all seven games from the Twins during the regular season. They're rested and ready (and a little perturbed, in the case of Jorge Posada). The Twins didn't even get to New York until just before the morning radio shows started and have hardly any arms left to pitch.

• Your Rankings: Who are the Twins chasing for the all-time postseason upset?

• Vote: All things Twins-Yankees series
• Playoff Power Ranker: Where do the Twins fit in with the rest of the playoff teams?

Talk about picking the right time to take the division lead! In Tuesday's Tigers-Twins tiebreaker, the Twins' extra-inning win gave Minnesota the largest lead it has had on top of the AL Central this entire season -- a one-game lead! (Cue Detroit imploding.)

Despite the Tigers' monopolization of the spot since early May, with the Twins in first place as of Oct. 6, they have officially won the AL Central and a playoff series against the Yankees (lucky them, right?). Which team will win this ALDS: the surging Twins or the consistent Yankees? Vote below!

• Vote: Which starting pitcher would you rather send to the mound Tuesday?

You would think repeating something 162 times would be a good way to guarantee conclusive results. When the Minnesota Twins are involved, you'd be wrong. We don't have a clue what will happen in the Metrodome on Tuesday night. (Although if we were the Twins, we'd keep Jared Allen around just in case anyone needs to rush the mound.)

What we do know is how little a chance SportsNation voters gave the Twins in the AL Central right up until the final hours of the regular season.

These are heady times in the Twin Cities. Brett Favre (steady on, you may hear that name a few more times today) gets his first look at the Packers tonight on Monday Night Football. Tuesday brings the Twins trying to complete a less tiresome comeback when they face the Tigers in a playoff ... tiebreaker ... really big game.

And we haven't even gotten to Sunday's thriller in front of roughly 4,000 people that saw the Timberwolves torch the Bucks (Roko Ukic vs. Mustafa Shakur; it's fantastic!) in the NBA preseason. Or the Wisconsin Badgers improving to 5-0 and claiming Paul Bunyan's Axe by beating the Golden Gophers on the gridiron in Minneapolis Saturday. You usually need a snow shovel to have this much fun in Minnesota.

We've got plenty of questions about the Packers and Vikings and Tigers and Twins, but first and foremost, which game is a bigger deal?

• Vote on Monday's game: Packers at Vikings | Vote on Tuesday's game: Tigers at Twins
• Chat : MNF with Football Outsiders, 7:30 p.m. ET | MLB with Eric Young, 3 p.m. ET
• Just for the heck of it : Got a Wild question? Talk NHL with Scott Burnside at 4 p.m. ET

We know baseball's regular season is a marathon, and one win in April equals one win in September. But when your team is coming to the finish line after running its metaphorical 26 miles, it has to feel good to have someone who can kick the guy behind you in the shins.

Justin Verlander was that guy Tuesday, kicking the Twins and their playoff hopes squarely where it hurts, but does one clutch performance when the Tigers needed it most put him in the thick of the AL Cy Young race?

With his team in danger of waking up this morning tied for first in the AL Central, Verlander beat the Twins and improved to 18-9 with a 3.45 ERA this season. CC Sabathia has 19 wins, Felix Hernandez has the same number of wins and a better ERA and Zack Greinke has fewer wins but the best ERA of all. But Verlander had the spotlight Tuesday night.

AL Cy Young Ballot: How do you rank the contenders for the award?

Well that didn't get us anywhere. The delicious Tigers-Twins doubleheader du jour turned out meaningless, with the Minnesota win in Game 1 being counteracted by the Detroit win in Game 2. Therefore, we end the day right back where we started: with a two-game Tigers lead over the Twins in the standings. What will the outcome of this important series be? Vote below.

• Before the series started: 51 percent said the Tigers would hold on and win the AL Central.
• Choose your side and join a group!: Tiger Den | Minnesota TWINS!!!!!!!!!!

• MLB Power Rankings: Last week, the Tigers were your No. 8 team and Twins your No. 11 team. Will they switch places this week?

If we were living in 1993, the Tigers would be 15.5 games behind the Yankees in the AL East and the Twins would be 13 games behind the Angels in the AL West. Then again, if we were living in 1993, this might be typed on a word processor and posted on a telephone poll while we walked to the record store to pick up the new Alice in Chains release.

In our hip, modern world, either the Tigers or Twins will make the playoffs out of the AL Central, and we may know a lot more about which one it will be by the end of the weekend. The Tigers remain the heavy favorite as they head to Minnesota for three games, but a Twins sweep would cut the deficit to a single game. And in a year without much September drama, we'll take the drama of mediocrity -- No. 9 vs. No. 14 in SportsNation's Power Rankings -- over nothing. Besides, Joe Mauer vs. Justin Verlander in Saturday's game should be consderably more interesting than Urban Meyer vs. Lane Kiffin.

• Vote: Which team would be more dangerous in the playoffs?
• Friday's Chats: Jerry Crasnick, 12 p.m. ET | Jayson Stark, 1 p.m. ET
• Week's Chats: Buster Olney | Peter Gammons | Joe Morgan | Steve Phillips | Keith Law

Sometimes we react to news, like when the Eagles decide to sign Michael Vick. Sometimes we plan things in advance. And sometimes we just let you do the work. Actually, we do that most of the time.

Fortunately, SportsNation usually provides us with plenty of cover for our slacking ways. So it was Friday, when an anonymous chatter asked a question that became a theme in Jayson Stark's chat and even carried over into Keith Law's chat.

Michelle Beadle and Colin Cowherd promise to give you their undivided attention and watch U.S.-Mexico only during "SportsNation" TV commercial breaks today.

Argue the hot topics, vote on the biggest stories and chat during the show, on ESPN2 at 4 p.m. and midnight ET.

Note: Broadcast voting results as of afternoon ET.

Which fight are you more interested in watching?
Would you rather see a replay of Brock Lesnar versus Frank Mir or watch Gina Carano versus Cristiane "Cyborg" Santos live?

Have you ever sipped beer through a straw?
Maybe we should reword this question: "Are you male, and did you attend college?" And don't lie to us. Your mom won't see how you voted.

Who won Tuesday night's fight?
Kevin Youkilis gets points for the sprint, helmet toss and attempted tackle, but Rick Porcello took advantage of his momentum and ended up on top.

What do you think about Michigan's tackling dummies?
The Wolverines hit tackling dummies adorned with Ohio State stickers in practice. Is this a smart, motivational move or a dumb tactic?

Will the Rick Pitino story affect Louisville recruiting?
Pitino reportedly told police that he had consensual sex with and paid for an abortion for the woman who has been charged with trying to extort him.

What is "SportsNation" TV, and how do you make your voice heard? Read about the new ESPN show that features fan opinions with calls, tweets, polls, rankers and more.

Sticks and stones may break bones, but batting helmets never seem to hurt anyone.

In another baseball brouhaha that was more sports creationism than sweet science, Kevin Youkilis charged the mound after being hit by Rick Porcello in the second inning of Tuesday's game between the Red Sox and Tigers. And it would seem to us that if you have a helmet in one hand and a bat in the other, and you elect to take the former into combat and leave the latter at the plate, you're pretty much admitting you shouldn't be going out there at all.

But aside from making for amusing video and brightening Ozzie Guillen's day, the brawl also got us wondering which batter would you least want to see rumbling toward the mound?

• Vote: The loss cost the Tigers in the standings; what's next in the Central?
• Vote: Do beanballs serve a purpose or just get more batters hit?