Starting Five: Game 162 Arrives With Lone Race Undecided

Starting Five is our wrapup of the previous day's baseball action with a quick nod to what is ahead.

You Oughta Know ...
That the final day of the regular season has arrived and there are still two meaningful baseball games to be played. There would have been three if the Dodgers hadn't snapped their five-game losing streak by beating the Rockies, clinching the National League West and relegating the Rockies to the wild card.

Meanwhile, the Tigers kept sliding and the Twins kept climbing. Minnesota's 5-4 victory over Kansas City and Detroit's 5-1 loss to the White Sox left the two teams dead even. The Tigers had been alone in first since July 24.

If it's not settled on Sunday -- the Tigers host the White Sox at 1:05 PM ET and the Twins host the Royals at 2:10 PM ET -- the teams will meet on Tuesday at 5 PM ET at the Metrodome to determine who goes on and who goes home.

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From The Trainer's Room...
Rockies lefty Jorge De La Rosa had to come out of Saturday's game with a groin injury after three innings. The Rockies aren't yet sure of the severity, but they haven't ruled him out for the playoffs. He could be pushed all the way back to Game 4, next Sunday. The Rockies have until Wednesday to set their playoff roster, so they can take some more time to evaluate him. The Rockies were going to pick between Jason Hammel and Jason Marquis for the final spot, so both would start if De La Rosa can't go.

Numbers Game ...
Angels lefty Scott Kazmir finished off his regular season with more of the same solid work. Kazmir pitched five scoreless innings against the A's. He has a 1.74 ERA with the Angels after bringing a 5.92 ERA over from Tampa Bay. Kazmir is in line to start Game 3 of the Division Series in Boston.

In Their Own Words ...
"It was ugly. ... There's not one thing I can take out of it that was positive." -- Yankees pitcher Andy Pettitte, who gave up five runs (three earned) and four walks in a loss to Tampa Bay in his final tuneup for the playoffs.

Advance Scouting ...
Other than the three games that impact the postseason race, there are a handful of games featuring top starting pitchers trying to put the final touches on outstanding seasons. Two games in particular might be worth watching if you just like to see good pitching. In Philadelphia, the Marlins' Josh Johnson goes against the Phillies' J.A. Happ (1:35 PM ET). In Seattle, the Mariners' Felix Hernandez pitches against Texas' Scott Feldman (4:10 PM ET).