BASEBALL: Oakland at Minnesota

Going back-to-back here at TOTW in order to recommend the A's vs. Twins afternoon matchup. Last night's game was a thriller as the Twinkies won 7-5 by posting 4 runs in the bottom of the 8th led by MVP candidate Justin Morneau's 2 run double. Minnesota continues to sit only 1 1/2 games behind Detroit in the AL Central race, while also incresing its own lead in the wildcard race to 2 1/2 games over the White Sox. At the same time, following Oakland's loss and Anaheim's 11 inning win over Chicago, the A's lead in the AL West has shrunk to 4 1/2 games. This race was considered over merely 10 days ago. During that span, Oakland has gone 4-6 while Anaheim is a blistering 8-2.

Beyond playoff implications, this game should be given extra attention since it marks the return of Twins uber-rookie Francisco Liriano. Remember when this kid was unhittable with a 1-something ERA and a season-long winning streak? After a month-long stint on the DL, Minnesota needs Liriano to return to the form he showed prior to coming down with a sore throwing arm. He still sports a mind-blowing 12-3 record with a miniscule 2.19 ERA. A few more wins down the stretch could give Liriano the edge in a tremendous battle for AL Rookie of the Year with Justin Verlander and Jonathon Papelbon.

Danny Haren takes the hill for the A's. He's 13-11 on the season with a respectable 3.95 ERA. Haren has become a reliable #2 starter in Oakland's rotation. He's already given the A's 200 innings and has finally made the trade of Mark Mulder for this prospect look like another solid move by GM Billy Beane.

My pick: Oakland. I'd hope Liriano makes a strong return and helps lead Minnesota into the playoffs. But Oakland was my World Series pick from spring training so I still expect big things from them too. Let's see if they respond to the heat being made by the ever-approaching Anaheim Angels.

I love this picture of a brunette Paris Hilton. Despite all her superficial flaws, I still like Paris. I'm just wondering why she puts on a disguise to buy a cell phone? Afterall, I thought she already proved that she wasn't camera shy?