Divisional Battle Heats Up with Detroit Tigers, Cleveland Indians

As the playoffs draw near, the divisional races are heating up. The closest one in baseball is between the Detroit Tigers and Cleveland Indians. They came into Tuesday's game with identical 65-53 records. With only 44 games left to play in the season, eight are against each other, meaning each one is crucial as the season winds down. They faced off on Tuesday evening, and both ballclubs sent their aces to the mound. Sabathia came in with a 14-6 record, and Bonderman held a 10-5 resume. For much of the game, it was a pitchers duel, as these two dug-in for a long game.

Before the duel got underway, Bonderman, who has a high first inning earned run average, gave up a two-run homerun. Struggling to find control early, he hit a batter, and then served up a perfect 3-1 pitch for Grady Sizemore to hit into the Tigers bullpen in right field. After that, Bonderman settled down, and both ballclubs had a tough time offensively. Bonderman struck out six through the first four innings, highlighted by striking out the side in the fourth inning. Overall, he struck out eight in seven innings. Sabathia also struck out eight through seven innings. Unfortunately, both pitchers received no-decisions.

Detroit threatened to score in the top of the fifth inning, after Infante doubled to centerfield, but the situation was cooled by Sabathia, who struck out Granderson to end the inning. In the next inning, Raburn led off with a double and Sheffield moved him over to third base. Maglio Ordonez then knocked in the first run for the Tigers. That was all the Tigers got in the sixth, but in the next inning the Tigers tied it up, as Thames doubled and Infante collected the RBI single.

In the eighth, Curtis Granderson ended the Indians rally in grand fashion. The Indians had runners on first and second, with two outs. One hit would have eventually led to an Indian win. It appeared that Travis Hafner had done just that, before Granderson came out of nowhere to make a diving catch. Adding to the drama, Granderson barely made the play, leaving fans expecting a hit. As it turned out, Granderson's catch ended up saving the game, and furthermore, it added to his resume this year of miracle catches that will challenge for this season's top play.

The teams were scoreless in the ninth, leading to extra innings. In the tenth, the Tigers broke out, giving the game its first taste of offensive excitement. Granderson walked, followed by Ryan Raburn's clutch single to right field. It seemed the Tigers were poised to take the lead. Sheffield was up next. With the Tigers only needing a sacrifice fly, he delivered the go-ahead hit, singling to left-center. That was all the Tigers needed to wrap this one up, but the excitement was not over just yet. Ordonez came to the plate next, and drove one over the left-field wall for a three-run homerun with gave the Tigers bullpen the support it needed to hold on. Todd Jones entered in the bottom of the tenth, and gave the Tigers a little scare, but ultimately did not allow a run, as the Tigers went on to win 6-2 in the first game of a pivotal series.

In the end, the game had many heroes. Raburn may have gotten the most important hit in the ballgame, Infante was involved in much of the Tigers success, and Bonderman was responsible for eight strikes outs, while pitching a great game. But ultimately, it was two players who share MVP honors for this game: Ordonez and Granderson, who made two of the game's biggest plays. Ordonez was responsible for four RBIs, three hits, and most importantly, a three-run homerun in extra innings. Granderson, on the other hand, made the most important play in the game, having saved it at that point, and went on to score the go-ahead run.

The two teams face off again on Wednesday night, as Detroit will send minor-league call-up, Jair Jurrjens (0-0), to the mound, against Indians' Fausto Carmona (13-7).