NewsTwins latest to take advantage of home field
Home teams win three consecutive tiebreakersBy Daniel Rivkin / MLB.com
10/06/09 10:22 PM EST
HOME-FIELD ADVANTAGE
| Year | Matchup | Winner's result |
|---|---|---|
| 1948 | CLE at BOS | Won WS |
| 1978 | NYY at BOS | Won WS |
| 1980 | HOU at LA | Lost NLCS |
| 1995 | ANA at SEA | Lost ALCS |
| 1998 | SF at CHC | Lost NLDS |
| 1999 | NYM at CIN | Lost NLCS |
| 2007 | SD at COL | Lost WS |
| 2008 | MIN at CWS | Lost ALDS |
| 2009 | DET at MIN | |
| Tiebreaker winner in bold. | ||
With the Twins' thrilling 6-5 victory Tuesday, it marked the third consecutive season the home team in a one-game tiebreaker advanced to the postseason.
Two years ago, the Rockies outlasted the Padres in an epic tiebreaker for the NL Wild Card and later won the NL pennant before being swept by the Red Sox in the World Series. Last season, the White Sox edged the Twins, but were eliminated by the Rays in the AL Division Series.
Overall, the team with home-field advantage has won five of Major League Baseball's nine play-in games. Of the prior four winners, only the Rockies advanced to the World Series.
Daniel Rivkin is an editorial producer for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
