Twins: Insert blown lead headline here

Is anyone tired of watching Minnesota's cut little club of 25 (actually 32 now with call ups? During the past three weeks, I've displayed my displeasure for the squad numerous times - the last being a night ago in which the bullpen blew a eighth game in the past 18 games.

Here are some sweet stats:
* Of the the last 18 games, in which 11 were defeats, eight leads were blown by the bullpen.
* Of the 13 consecutive road contests, dependable Joe Nathan has three blown saves. He had converted 34 of 37 before then, but now only 36 of 42.

The Twins trail Chicago by one game, yet think about how far ahead they could be of the White Sox if we had won 75 percent of the games we lost in the bullpen. We'd be five games ahead.

What makes this team so hard to watch is that the rookies (Slowey, Perkins and Blackburn) are pitching their hearts out, but the vet relief staff (Nathan, Crain, Guerrier and Guardado) are the ones that are giving away a central division title.

Nathan has lost his control - walking and hitting a batter Saturday and walking the tying run last night (Jason Pridie should be looking for a job after that boot last night).

Crain is terrible. He had three consecutive appearances where he gave up the winning hit.

Guerrier struggled, then had two nice outings before giving up a key run Tuesday.

Guardado is a bust. He went 1-2-3 in his first outing, but then gave up a run and needed a Denard Span outfield assist at the plate to hold on to a lead at Seattle. Then he gave up three runs to Oakland and got the loss last night, giving up a double and a single to Joe Bagofdonuts and Dusty Trunks last night.

Boof Bonser got the loss Tuesday and gave up the winning hit last night.

The biggest thing to remember with this terrible stretch of baseball is that it was against two of the worst teams in the American League in Oakland and Seattle and a fourth-place team in Toronto, who we have lost to in eight consecutive games.

Friends, this wall I have been talking about that the Twins would run into this season - this 14-game road trip is just that. Stop printing the division champion T-shirts! Don't buy the playoff pre-sale tickets! This team is done! Mark my words!

I hope I eat my words and I get to see another first-round exit, but the veteran leadership that pulls a team out of a skid like this isn't there.