The Twins have won six division titles in the past nine seasons, and in three of those championship runs they made up at least a seven-game deficit after mid-July:

Year Deficit in AL Central Rest of way

2003 7 1/2 GB on July 17 (45-49) 45-23 (.662)

2006 12 GB on July 14 (48-40) 48-26 (.649)

2009 7 GB on Sept. 6 (68-68) 19-8 (.704)

LOOKING BACK

It's rare, but not unheard of, for a team to make up a double-digit deficit after July 1 and rally to finish first:

1951: The New York Giants trailed the Brooklyn Dodgers by 13 games on Aug. 12 but rallied to win the pennant on Bobby Thomson's dramatic home run.

1978: The Yankees were 14 games behind in the AL East on July 20, then won 52 of their final 73 games.

1989: Toronto was 38-45, in sixth place and 10 games back in the seven-team AL East on July 5. The Blue Jays went 51-28 the rest of the way to edge Baltimore by two games.