What a swansong for the Metrodome; Tigers face huge obstacle

The Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome has seen a lot of great action over the years. It's the only place to host a Super Bowl, an NCAA Final Four and a World Series.

And it's been one heck of a last hurrah this weekend for the 27-year-old dome. The Twins won Sunday in what used to be called the "Homerdome," a 13-4 triumph in a game Minnesota had to win to force a one-game playoff for the American League Central title. On Monday night, Brett Favre and the Vikings beat the Packers in a heavily hyped NFL game. And Tuesday afternoon, it's back to baseball for at least one more day. And this city is on a roll.

In its heyday, there was no tougher place for a visitor to play than the Metrodome. In fact, no visiting team has ever won a World Series game at the Metrodome - 0-8. And that home-field advantage could play a big role again Tuesday when the Tigers send a rookie, Rick Porcello, to the mound.

"Every pitch," Tigers manager Jim Leyland said to MLB.com, "will be a roar."

The numbers stack up very poorly for the Tigers. Detroit is 2-7 at the dome this season. Porcello is 0-2 with a 6.30 ERA in two starts. The last time a road team won a one-game playoff was 10 years ago, when the Mets beat the Reds in 1999 to win the NL wild card.

New to the site: One-game tiebreakers in baseball history.

Also, analysis, storylines and all sorts of information about the three playoff series that are set:

• NL Division Series: Phillies vs. Rockies preview
• NL Division Series: Dodgers vs. Cardinals preview
• AL Division Series: Angels vs. Red Sox preview