1987 American League Championship Series

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The 1987 American League Championship Series pitted the Minnesota Twins, the AL West champions, against the Detroit Tigers, the AL East champions. Minnesota won the Series 4 games to 1, en route to winning the 1987 World Series 4 games to 3 over the St. Louis Cardinals.

Managers: Tom Kelly (Minnesota), Sparky Anderson (Detroit)

Umpires: Joe Brinkman, Durwood Merrill, Drew Coble, Al Clark, Mike Reilly, Jim McKean

Series MVP: Gary Gaetti, Minnesota

Television: NBC (Bob Costas and Tony Kubek announcing)

1 Background
2 Summary
3 External links

[edit] Background

The Detroit Tigers finished the 1987 regular season with the best record in all of baseball, at 98-64 (.605). They won the American League East by two games in thrilling fashion over the Toronto Blue Jays, overcoming a 3½-game deficit and clinching the division on the last day of the season with a 1-0 win over the Jays. The Twins, by contrast, finished with the worst record of any of the four teams that made the playoffs, at 85-77 (.525). Although they held off the Kansas City Royals by two games to take the division, they were clearly seen as the underdogs against the power of the Tigers in the 1987 ALCS. After their elimination in the 1987 ALCS, the Detroit Tigers would not see the playoffs again for 19 years, clinching their next playoff berth on September 24, 2006.

[edit] Summary

[edit] Game 1

October 7, Metrodome

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Detroit	0	0	1	0	0	1	1	2	0	5	10	0
Minnesota	0	1	0	0	3	0	0	4	X	8	10	0
W: Jeff Reardon (1-0) L: Doyle Alexander (0-1)
HRs: MIN – Gary Gaetti 2 (2) DET – Mike Heath (1) Kirk Gibson (1)

[edit] Game 2

October 8, Metrodome

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Detroit	0	2	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	3	7	1
Minnesota	0	3	0	2	1	0	0	0	X	6	6	0
W: Bert Blyleven (1-0) L: Jack Morris (0-1) S: Juan Berenguer (1)
HRs: MIN – Kent Hrbek (1) DET – Chet Lemon (1) Lou Whitaker (1)

[edit] Game 3

October 10, Tiger Stadium

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Minnesota	0	0	0	2	0	2	2	0	0	6	8	1
Detroit	0	0	5	0	0	0	0	2	X	7	7	0
W: Mike Henneman (1-0) L: Jeff Reardon (1-1)
HRs: MIN – Greg Gagne (1) Tom Brunansky (1) DET – Pat Sheridan (1)

[edit] Game 4

October 11, Tiger Stadium

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Minnesota	0	0	1	1	1	1	0	1	0	5	7	1
Detroit	1	0	0	0	1	1	0	0	0	3	7	3
W: Frank Viola (1-0) L: Frank Tanana (0-1) S: Jeff Reardon (1)
HRs: MIN – Kirby Puckett (1) Greg Gagne (2)

[edit] Game 5

October 12, Tiger Stadium

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Minnesota	0	4	0	0	0	0	1	1	3	9	15	1
Detroit	0	0	0	3	0	0	0	1	1	5	9	1
W: Bert Blyleven (2-0) L: Doyle Alexander (0-2) S: Jeff Reardon (2)
HRs: MIN – Tom Brunansky (2) DET: – Matt Nokes (1) Chet Lemon (2)