July has always been a key month during the baseball season. Throughout the years, the division leaders on July 4th are regarded as the favorites to win it all come October.

July 4th is also known for hot dogs, apple pie, fireworks and baseball. Also, this year Fox Sports has designated the A’s – Tigers game on Monday July 3rd as a special broadcast to the troops in Iraq.

In 2006 the entire month of July will be the acid test for the teams in the West. If the A’s are going to open up any ground on their pursuers they will have to do it against some of the top teams in the American League.

Click below for more!Seattle, Texas, and Los Angeles face similar challenges.

Who has the toughest road in July?

Oakland leads the pack. With an offense that is still one of the weakest in the league the A’s must out score the Red Sox, Blue Jays, and Tigers at home and on the road.

The A’s also have five games with the Angels, a pitching rich team with their backs against the wall in mid season.

Rounding out the month Oakland visits Baltimore where the Orioles are over .500 at home.

The A’s won’t be able to rely on late inning comebacks against all star closers BJ Ryan and Jon Papelbon in Toronto and Boston. Detroit, Los Angeles, and Baltimore can seal the game too.

The Tigers are riding high behind starting pitchers Justin Verlander, Kenny Rogers, Nate Robertson and former A’s farmhand Jeremy Bonderman.

The A’s rely on tight defense, a lights out bullpen and consistent starting pitching. In July they better swing the bats or things will get very sticky for them in the West.

Are the Mariners back in the race? We’ll know more after we see how Seattle handles Colorado, Los Angeles, Detroit, Boston, and Toronto at home this month. The Mariners travel to Toronto, New York, and Cleveland too.

Both the A’s and Seattle face a dominant Blue Jay starting staff searching for two pitchers to compliment Roy Halladay, AJ Burnett, and Ted Lilly.

If Seattle continues to hold its own against everyone in baseball except the A’s (1-9 against Oakland), the six games the two teams have in August against each other suddenly become very interesting.

The Texas starting rotation looks shakier as each day passes. The Rangers should seriously consider adding recently designated for assignment Angel Jeff Weaver to their staff.

The resurgent Twins, Astros, Blue Jays, Yanks, and Royals come into Arlington. Road trips to Toronto, Chicago, and Baltimore make the month ominous for Texas.

The Rangers need starting pitching and they need it right now.

The Angels have the best chance to pick up ground in the West during July. The Halos haven’t hit all season and they don’t catch the ball adequately either. The Angels do pitch quite well and have a bullpen that can close the game.

The recent slump of Vladimir Guerrero and the slow return to form by Bartolo Colon are major concerns for this team.

Los Angeles faces the A’s five times in July, with four games in Oakland leading up to the break. The Angels need to win at least three of the five games to keep pace with the A’s in this head to head match up between the division rivals.

Tampa Bay and Cleveland, two poor road teams come into Anaheim. The club travels to Seattle, Kansas City, Tampa Bay, and Boston giving the Angels a reasonable chance to gain some ground if they can find a way to score some runs.

If you are the division leader on July 4th this year you have great reason for optimism as the summer unfolds.

However, with the AL West facing a tough July, the team leading the pack at the end of the month will be the team to beat down the stretch.

You can count on it.