1991 ALCS recap

This was the first series in MLB postseason history played entirely inside domes -- the Metrodome in Minneapolis and the two-year-old SkyDome in Toronto. The latter had a retractable roof, but it was closed as the Canadian weather cooled off in October.

St. Paul, Minn., native Jack Morris started Game 1 at the Metrodome, his postseason debut for the Twins after having won a ring with the Tigers in 1984, and it would be the first step on his way to what would be a legendary October finish. Meanwhile, Blue Jays manager Cito Gaston had an immediate surprise, starting knuckleballer Tom Candiotti in the opener.

Conventional wisdom said the Twins would have to keep Jays tablesetters Devon White and Roberto Alomar off base to win, and yet in Game 1, it was the 1-2 punch of Dan Gladden and Chuck Knoblauch atop Minnesota's order that did the damage in a 5-4 triumph by the Twins.

Toronto pulled even and stole back the home-field advantage by winning Game 2, as White and Alomar did exactly what the experts had forecast. They combined to go 4-for-7 with four runs, two steals and a sacrifice, leading to an early 3-0 lead that was never lost.

It was bad news after that for Blue Jays fans, who sat through three consecutive losses at SkyDome and watched the Twins punch their ticket to the World Series. Mike Pagliarulo's solo homer to deep right in the top of the 10th broke a 1-1 tie to win it for Minnesota in the pivotal Game 3; Morris improved to 2-0 in the ALCS by winning Game 4; and for the second year in a row, the manager of the losing team in an ALCS finale was ejected over balls and strikes, as Gaston was tossed early in the Game 5 loss.

White and Alomar were magnificent, but they had little help in the series. Canada would have to wait a bit longer for World Series glory.

Kirby Puckett was named ALCS MVP for the Twins, going 9-for-21 (.429) with two homers, four runs and five RBIs. It was just a taste of what was to come next.

Path to the ALCS: Minnesota (95-67) won the AL West by eight games; Toronto (91-71) won the AL East by seven games

Managers: Tom Kelly, MIN; Cito Gaston, TOR

MVP: Kirby Puckett