If you look at the standings every day as most baseball fans do, there is only one division in each league where the top three teams will be vying for playoffs spots, whether they be wild cards or division winners and it’s the West.

The Mets played like the ’62 Mets in Pac Bell Tuesday night, running themselves out of an inning, botching a throw from right field to the pitchers mound which allowed Barry Bonds to score when he had no intention of doing so, and seeing their first six batters of the game strike out.

The Tigers continue to close the deal when they have the lead after seven innings and Aaron Sele’s arm hurt after losing once again in NY.

Today should be even better.The A’s are doing what all the great pitching staffs in baseball have done over the years and that is win when it counts at the end of the season.

The Yankees toyed with the Indians, Red Sox, and White Sox throughout the fifties until August and September when they would wipe out their closest competitor in a late season home and home series and then run off 20 wins in their last 25 games.

The LA Dodgers did it all the time to the Giants in the 60’s. The Cards got back in the NL race in ’64 doing it to the Phillies and Reds.

The A’s are now on their run for the fourth consecutive season. It comes as no surprise to me as I have consistently written that they have the best starting staff in baseball and it is just a matter of time until they dominate the schedule.

Tonight they face a rookie Ricardo Rodriguez making his first major league start. Good luck Mr. Rookie. The A’s will take pitches and drive Rodriguez’ pitch count up before he knows what has hit him.

Eric Chavez and Jermaine Dye are now hitting comfortably in the four and five spots in the order. Cory Lidle has thrown 22 consecutive scoreless innings. The Indians don’t hit righties at all and Lidle is throwing extremely well. So what’s not to like about the A’s chances to win the West.

Only that they have trouble winning in their division and they have 20 games within the division beginning Sept 8th continuing through the end of the regular season.

Ismael Valdes makes his debut for Seattle tonight in Detroit on his birthday. Even if Valdes gives the Mariners his usual steady six innings, this team is just not firing on all cylinders. They got 7 hits last night, four by Mike Cameron who hasn’t played in over a week because a prolonged batting slump, and not much else from the big hitters in the lineup.

With the prospect of facing the Tigers best pitcher Mark Redman tomorrow the Mariners will have some urgency to get it done tonight against knuckleballer Steve Sparks who can mess up anyone’s batting eye.

The Red Sox bull pen gave it away last night once again. Anytime you put the game in the hands of Willie Banks, you are asking for trouble. Derek Lowe pitched beautifully for seven innings, then the pen gave it up.

Tonight Casey “two pitch” Fossum tries to sneak his fastball and curve past the Rangers and the crafty Kenny Rogers. This is no gimme for the Sox tonight.

Ramon Ortiz leads the Halos in a day game in NY. Ortiz gives up homers quite often and the Yankees lead the world in hitting the ball out of the park. El Duque has been an enigma all year, if his head is screwed on straight today, the A’s could take over sole possesion of first in the West.

The Angels middle relief and set up men have never been down the stretch before, NY is a good place to see how they will hold up the rest of the way.

Scott Spiezio batted third for the Angels last night. I know he got three hits, but this can’t work for very long. When is Tim Salmon coming back? This week is gut check time for the Angels.

The Giants are not hitting a lick right now and you know what, they might not hit up and down that line up for the rest of the season. Rich Aurilia looks like he is in a deep slump. Reggie Sanders is sick and hurt on a daily basis. Bonds rarely gets more than one pitch to hit per game. Their leadoff hitter is washed up. Jeff Kent is all the Giants have going for them at bat.

The Mets have lost nine in a row and the end isn’t in sight. They ran the bases poorly, didn’t hit at all, and looked completely lost when they couldn’t record an out when the Giants had two runners close to third base, while the Metsies had the ball on the pitchers mound. By the way, the last miscue cost them the game 1-0. 1962 revisited, I’m not kidding.

The Dodgers throw Omar Daal tonight against the Marlins. Having to rely on Daal to hold their wild card lead is reason enough to believe that neither the Giants, Reds, nor the Astros are out of this race.

Carlos Hernandez is back on the hill for Houston against Mark Prior. Prior is getting very comfortable on the mound as he settles into big league life. Maybe the Cubs will make it two in a row over the Astros?

Chicago can win today. Mark Buehrle has the Twins number and Chicago wins once a week anyway.

Curt Schilling should notch number 21 tonight against Brian Moehler. Is it my imagination, but the Arizona batting order doesn’t scare me. The NL has got to be a weak league this year, if this offense is getting it done.

Anyone seen or heard from the Commissioner lately? With all public support tilted toward the owners, Bud has been put in the deep freeze until August 30th when he has to say something. Bud’s the only guy who can get the players off the hook with the public, no wonder he has disappeared.