After sweeping the White Sux to start the month, the Twins have only managed to play .500 ball in their last ten games, the same record as Cleveland which is riding a five-game winning streak. So we're not getting much help from other teams in our quest to top the division, but we're not helping ourselves enough, either. Still, at less than five games back if we can gain a game a week on the Guardians we'll catch them by mid-September. At any rate, we have ourselves a pennant race. The pitching staff is depleted and we're missing a franchise player, but  the young guns have stepped up in key spots to help  keep this race close. So while the rest of the Twins' season may not be brilliant, it's not likely to be dull, either.

Bailey Q.S. Ober will ascend the mound tonight for the Twins. He's been as solid as a sequoia and just as tall. With 22 games under his belt this year he's notched 12 wins and 5 losses, pitching to a 3.52 ERA, a .97 WHIP and a .201 OBA. He's struck out 137 batters and walked only 31.  The Rangers counter with lefthander Cody Bradford in his 14th major league start since his debut last year. He's pitched well this season, an ERA of 3.60, WHIP of .93 and a .209 OBA. The closeness of those numbers is kind of striking and I have no idea what it might mean if anything.

Play ball!