I wave a homer hanky while keeping score… my mother crops my head out of the shot

That was one of the most amazing games I have ever been to.
To set the stage for those not paying attention to the AL Central… going in to today, the Twins trailed the Tigers by one game with two left to go. If the Twins lose and the Tigers win, the Tigers clinch the division. If the Twins win both and the Tigers lose both, the Twins clinch the division. In the meantime, I have two tickets to tomorrow’s Twins game and my dad has bought us four tickets to today’s game. Plus there is a photo of Tom Brunansky involved, but I’ll save that for another post.
So, now that the stage is set, here were the key players…

• On the mound today for Kansas City: Zach Greinke, probable AL Cy Young winner.
• Playing catcher for the Twins: Joe Mauer, probable AL MVP and batting title champion.
• In my bag: A 2002 edition Homer Hanky, probable good luck charm.

Let the face off begin…

Joe Mauer at the bat

After five and a half innings of a pitchers duel, I bring out the homer hanky in the bottom of the sixth. Immediately, Nick Punto draws a walk. After two sacrifices to advance Punto to third, Joe Mauer comes to the plate. In the face-off between the year’s best American Leaguers, Mauer came out the victor, lacing a single to right field to score Punto. A few batters later with the bases loaded, Delmon Young hits a bases clearing double to put the Twins up 4-0.
And it is all because I started waving the Homer Hanky, I swear.
Then I got lazy and the Royals started chipping away at the lead, eventually tying it up in the 8th. Going in to the bottom of the 8th, my dad and I have this conversation…
Dad: Who’s up next for the Twins?
Me, looking at scorebook: Kubel, Cuddyer, and Young.
Dad: Good, one of those guys can jack it and then Nathan comes in in the 9th for the save.
Sure enough, my dad was right. Cuddyer hit one deep to left to put the Twins up 5-4. Nathan got up in the bullpen the instant Cuddyer flipped his bat. In the top of the 9th, the Twins closer mowed down the Royals 1-2-3 to win the game.
And with that, the Twins were only a 1/2 game back of the Tigers. And just now, the Tigers lost to the White Sox (again)… which means that the AL Central is tied with one game left. And I have tickets tomorrow.