Free to good home: The American League's best record

The Braves, Padres and Giants apparently weren't in the mood to wrap things up on Friday night and the National League's game of musical chairs will continue during today's action.

But while those three teams are the only still-eligible squads that haven't RSVPed to the postseason, they're far from the only ones afraid to make a commitment. You may not have noticed, but over in the American League, the top three teams are trying to refuse the league's best record like it's last piece of bruschetta before the big main course.

"No thanks, we're full." 

The Minnesota Twins (93-67), New York Yankees (94-65) and Tampa Bay Rays (94-66) have all struggled over the last 10 days and are seemingly subscribing to the line of thought that homefield advantage in the playoffs is no big deal. They've swooned enough in September that the charging Philadelphia Phillies (96-64) have blown right past all of them for the best record in the major leagues. (Which would be a big deal were it not for homefield advantage in the World Series having been decided with the NL's win in the All-Star game last July.)

Surely some of the recent losing can be tabbed to complacency (the AL playoff lineup has seemingly been set since Labor Day) and playoff posturing (lineups containing all of the team's stars has been rare, if not altogether eliminated).

But doesn't anyone want to step up and claim what could have easily been theirs with one or two more wins the past 10 days? Let's take a look at the recent records to see how each team has stumbled on their way to what looked like a guaranteed win total in the high '90s:  

• The Rays have lost five of six and were the victims of a two-hit, 7-0 shutout by the Royals' Bruce Chen(notes) on Friday night. They were gifted a four-game set against Kansas City at the end of the city, but have completely blown the opportunity by losing the first two contests. They're 13-14 in September and are now a half-game behind the Yankees in the AL East. 

Said Tampa Bay manager Joe Maddon:

"We've been through short stretches like this but we always come out of it OK."

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• The Twins clinched the AL Central on Sept. 21 and the talk was that they'd make a run at homefield advantage throughout the AL playoffs. But they're 2-7 since popping the bubbly and have been outscored by a total of 19 to 5 over their first two games with the Blue Jays. Are they content in knowing that the presence of the Rays and Yankees guarantees the ALDS to open at Target Field, no matter if their record is worse than both? 

Said Minnesota pitcher Carl Pavano:

"You can look at our record the last six or seven days and it's not very good. But I feel good that guys are getting healthy ... You're just trying to get guys ready. Obviously winning the ballgame sets a little different tone than losing, but I think we know what we're capable of doing."

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• The Yankees were rained out in Boston on Friday night and will make it up with a doubleheader today. They're in the driver's seat for the best record in the AL, but it's not as if they've powered their way to the designation. They're 12-15 in the month of September and have lost six of their last eight. Past CC Sabathia(notes), their playoff rotation is a guessing game.

Said New York shortstop Derek Jeter: 

"It's not always how you start. It's how you finish — especially when you're going to the playoffs. So regardless of whether you have a great regular season or poor regular season, you know, you get in these games, you can contribute, and you forget about what's happened up until this point."

Related: CC Sabathia, Bruce Chen, Minnesota Twins, New York Yankees, Philadelphia Phillies, Tampa Bay Rays

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