After Minnesota boy Pat Neshek allowed the Twins to lose a game they should have won last night, manager Ron Gardenhire let one of the team's star relief pitchers off the hook with his comments.

Instead of criticizing Neshek, Gardy pointed to the bats, which have been ineffective for weeks.

It's true that Neshek has been great this year and that the Twins' bats are ice cold. But Neshek, I'm sure, knows he blew it. Carlos Silva pitched a nice game and deserved the win.

The Twins only godsend is that Cleveland and Detroit are both almost as bad as Minnesota lately. They are still 6-1/2 games out of first place, but time is running out to catch the Indians and Tigers. Had the Twins gotten hot instead of falling flat against Kansas City last week, we might have been talking about a repeat of last year's magic instead of a 3-7 record in the Twins' last 10 games.

Some games, some years, it just isn't in the cards. My dad says he'll be happy to save the money he would've spent on playoff tickets.

Maybe I'm delusional (feel free to tell me I am, too), but until Mariano Rivera comes into the game, unless we pinch hit Kirk Gibson an inning too soon, until all 12 of our games against Cleveland and Detroit are over, ... if the stars all align just right, ... the Twins still have a chance to win this division.

Remember I said that when all the mainstream media (Cubs and White Sox fans, nonbelievers, pessimists, and other outsiders) claims we're out of the race at the All-Star break.

And, heck, remember I said that if we finish in third place. I don't care. I love these Twins, even if they give up dingers to infielder/slugger Maicer Izturis.