DETROIT -- Of all the teams he's faced this season, Ricky Nolasco has been most effective against the Detroit Tigers. The Kansas City Royals are counting on that to continue tonight.
Nolasco owns a 2.03 ERA in two starts against the Tigers this season, including eight shutout innings at Target Field on Sept. 16. If he can do something similar tonight, when he faces Tigers rookie Kyle Lobstein, the AL Central race will come down to the season's final day -- or longer. The Royals trail Detroit by one game, and face the White Sox tonight in Chicago. If there is a tie, a one-game playoff will take place Monday, with the winner advancing to the division series, and the loser forced into the wild-card playoff game.
So there's actual pennant-race pressure in Comerica Park, and the Twins are enjoying their chance to take part, even from last place. "I'm going to approach it as a must-win," said Kyle Gibson, who will start the finale on Sunday. "You can learn a lot from seeing this kind of pressure."
Here are the lineups for tonight's game:
TWINS
Santana SS
Dozier 2B
Mauer 1B
