page_title: 2008 American League Central tie-breaker game
section_title: Background
hierarchical_section_title: 2008 American League Central tie-breaker game / Background
caption_attribution_description: English: The 2008 MLB AL Central Tiebreaker Game was played by the Minnesota Twins against the Chicago White Sox on 9-30-08 at US Cellular Field in Chicago. The White Sox defeated the Twins 1-0 and secured a place in the playoffs.
context_page_description: The 2008 American League Central tie-breaker game, commonly known as the Blackout Game, was a one-game extension to Major League Baseball's 2008 regular season, played between the Chicago White Sox and Minnesota Twins to determine the champion of the American League's Central Division. It was played at U.S. Cellular Field in Chicago, Illinois, on September 30, 2008. The White Sox won the game, 1–0, on a home run by Jim Thome, the lowest-scoring game in MLB tie-breaker history. The Sox advanced to the 2008 AL Division Series, where they lost to the Tampa Bay Rays, 3 games to 1; the Twins failed to qualify for the postseason.
  The game was necessary after both teams finished the season with identical win–loss records of 88–74. The White Sox won a coin flip late in the season which, by rule, awarded them home field in the game. The tie-breaker counted as the 163rd regular season game by both teams, with all events in the game added to regular season statistics.
context_section_description: Prior to the start of the season, the Detroit Tigers and Cleveland Indians, the division's top two finishers in the previous season, were predicted to be the strongest teams by journalists such as Tom Verducci of ESPN and Joe Sheehan of Baseball Prospectus. However, the Indians lineup was weakened by injuries and spent just 13 days of the season in the division lead, last on May 17. The Tigers never led the AL Central and finished the season in last place, 14 games back.
  The White Sox led for most of the season starting with a tie for first on May 17, held at least a share of the lead for 154 days, and never dropped more than a game behind the leader. The Twins spent much of the season in second place behind the White Sox, along with 54 days in the lead. Despite going 11–15 in September, the Twins took a half-game lead with an extra innings win over the White Sox on September 25 that capped a three-game sweep of Chicago. The Twins maintained that lead through their final game, forcing Chicago to play a make-up on September 29 against the Tigers which had been rained out earlier that month. The White Sox won, 8–2, leaving the Sox and Twins tied atop the AL Central with 88–74 records, forcing a tie-breaker to decide the division. Tickets for the tie-breaker sold out within an hour of the end of the September 29 game.
  The White Sox won the right to play at U.S. Cellular Field, their home field, as a result of a coin flip earlier in September. Fans were encouraged to wear all-black clothing to show support for the White Sox. The game was broadcast on TBS. The White Sox used John Danks on three days' rest as their starter, and the Twins started Nick Blackburn.
caption: The game was played at U.S. Cellular Field in Chicago. Fans were encouraged to wear black clothing in support of the home team.
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