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A month that began with the A's scuffling and ultimately losing their lead in the American League West ended with a 5-1 flourish that enabled the team to record its ninth straight winning month at 14-13. And don't be fooled, that record is indicative of how the A's played in the month of August: up and down and all around. 

Major League Baseball has a scheduling problem that shouldn't be an issue because the league holds all the power when it comes to deciding which teams will play each other and when. 

No one is denying that making a schedule of 162 games for 30 different teams is difficult and will lead to some late-season matchups that, frankly, are lacking in excitement or enthusiasm. That's understandable since we know not every team will be competing for a playoff spot. 

We are still a month from the start of the 2013 MLB postseason, and players often significantly impact their free-agent stock with their play down the stretch and in the playoffs, but it's still never too early to take a look at the upcoming crop of free agents.

September 1 marks the annual date when major league rosters expand from 25 to 40 active players.  The opportunity it poses varies circumstantially from team to team, but it always promises a chance to see some fresh faces in our favorite familiar uniforms.

"You can't always get what you want, but if you try sometimes, well you might find you just might find you get what you need." - The Rolling Stones

That song may have been released three months after the pitching mounds were lowered in 1969, but that line seems pretty applicable as we look ahead to the 2013 MLB playoffs.

We'll make the best of any situation we're given, finding a way to create drama in any and every playoff series played this October.

Giancarlo Stanton possesses the most raw power of any player in the game. However, he may have some competition at this time next season.

Already on the fast track to the major leagues, Miguel Sano is racing through the Minnesota Twins’ system and putting up big numbers along the way.

For a team trying to contend for a division title, the Tampa Bay Rays were terrible in August.

The Rays were coming off the best month in club history, following a 21-5 record in July. Their encore performance, an 11-15 August, was the team's worst record since also going 11-15 in July 2011.

The month was the team's first losing August since Manager Joe Maddon's first season in 2006.

As minor league seasons end and the major leagues hit the final stretch, teams start calling up their top prospects for their first taste of life in the big leagues. It is a time to see major league pitching, get adjusted to speed of the game and shake off the awe of being a major league ballplayer.

September 1 marks the time when teams can have 40 players on the active roster.

A time that usually brings excitements to fans across the board. 

The 2013 MLB season hasn't gone the way the Cincinnati Reds had hoped, but there are still many reasons for fans to watch the team in September.

Cincinnati is in position to make the postseason for the third time in four seasons. Whether it wins the division or snags a Wild Card has yet to be determined.

In the past week, the Mets split a four-game series with the Phillies by winning two games, before winning two out of three against the Nationals as the calendar has turned to September.