(Best E Casino) - Seattle has seemingly been out of the AL West race since opening day, and Texas, while still hanging around, figures to fade as the summer sun intensifies. It appears that the Oakland Athletics are the only team capable of giving the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim a run in the division.

Tonight, the A's hope to halt a two-game slide as they begin a nine-game homestand with three in a row against the Marlins. Rich Harden will be on the hill for the home team, and he carries a sparkling 4-0 record and 2.53 ERA into the contest.

There are few hurlers in the majors with the type of electric stuff that Harden possesses. Unfortunately, the flame-throwing righty is about as durable as Mark Prior. When Harden takes the mound, fans of the A's hold their breath, much the same way that followers of the NBA's Detroit Pistons watch anxiously when a questionable foul is called against Rasheed Wallace.

It is obvious that the key to Oakland's success this season is pitching. The offense is average and figures to remain so. But a healthy Harden gives the team a chance to hang with the Angels, who many consider the class of the division.

Joe Blanton entered this season as the one starting pitcher on the roster that could seemingly be counted on for success. Through 16 starts, he is 3-10 with a 4.81 ERA. Still, Oakland is six games above the .500 mark at 39-33, and there is reason to believe that Blanton can turn things around in the second half of the season.

No team in baseball has allowed fewer runs than the A's (266), and they have scored 58 more runs than they have allowed. By contrast, the Angels are just a plus-two in run differential. Give credit to a seemingly anonymous collection of hurlers that includes the likes of Justin Duchscherer, Joey Devine and Chad Gaudin.

Will the A's be able to win the AL West? Most baseball fans would likely say no, but Oakland is baseball's stingiest team and seems to play as if it has nothing to lose. That is, unquestionably, a dangerous combination.

INJURY UPDATE

Reliever Santiago Casilla was activated from the DL on Thursday. Prior to suffering an elbow injury, the righty appeared in 21 games and posted a staggering 0.93 ERA.

UP NEXT

After the three-game weekend series in Florida, the A's will close their trek against the NL East-leading Philadelphia Phillies and their Bay Area rival San Francisco Giants.