Three Weeks

Having dropped 3 of 5 games in Detroit this weekend, the Twins have fallen back to .500 (11-11) for the month of July, just as they were a .500 club (13-13) in June, after posting a 14-13 record in May. Minnesota owes its position on top of the wild card standings to a 15-8 April in which the club took series in Seattle and Cleveland, swept the Tigers at home, won 5 of 5 against the Royals, and closed the month with a pair of home wins over the Angels.

Meanwhile, Oakland has caught the Twins with a 6-game winning streak, posting a 15-5 record this month. Since the A's were swept by the Nationals in DC on June 9, they have gone on a 30-9 run while the Twins offense has been sputtering in the water and let the A's make up 12.5 games in the standings. Of course, a Twins fan can only sit back and envy a club that has the luxury of stocking the roster with key experienced veterans like Rich Harden, Nick Swisher, Bobby Crosby, Danny Haren, Justin Duchscherer, Huston Street, Joe Blanton, and the pride of Coon Rapids, Dan Johnson. Wasn't this supposed to be a rebuilding year for Oakland?

Tha-a-a-a-a-a-aa Yankees have also slipped within a half-game of the Twins as of today, winning 13 of 20 this month despite stumbling in Anaheim of Los Angeles this past week. We're investigating the rumor that the Yankees bus driver got lost looking for Angels Stadium in downtown LA, leading the team on a harrowing journey through South Central in the wee hours of Thursday morning which ended only when Gary Sheffield negotiated to give up Derek Jeter to the Crips in exchange for directions to the freeway. If you see Jeter wearing a blue do-rag under his cap this week, it's only because the Yankee Captain is that much of a team playa, yo.

The Twins will be seeing the new chapter of the Bronx Crips this Tuesday, which kicks off a stretch of games that includes home/away sets with Boston and Oakland as well as a series out in Seattle. Twins fans have been looking forward to the 13 remaining games with Chicago, starting with the series in Comiskey that begins on August 15. But by the time the Twins leave Oakland on the 14th, we may have a definitive sense of whether the Twins are going to be in the playoff race to the end or have been already knocked out. The next three weeks, the season is on the line.