The Oakland Athletics head home following a series defeat to the New York Yankees but have managed to climb out of last place for now. The climb out of last place has as much to do with the Mariners collapse as it does with the A's recent victories. While the A's have gone 5-4 since the All Star break, the Seattle Mariners are 0-10 since the break and have a 15 game losing streak. The streak has dropped the Mariners to 14 1/2 games out of first, while the A's are 13 1/2 games out of first.
The A's head into this week facing the Tampa Bay Rays four times at home. The division-leading Texas Rangers host the Minnesota Twins, the Los Angeles Angels travel to face the Cleveland Indians for three games, and the Mariners get three games at the New York Yankees. The A's may not be making up much ground on the Rangers or Angels, but they have a chance to put a little distance between themselves and the Mariners. It's not the most riveting reason to watch baseball, but for now the A's don't have much else.