THE YANKEES: Red Sox Woes

Ok I give. If I am going to have to continue posting a blog consistently throughout this semester it had better be about the Yankees. They are probably the only subject noteworthy enough (that I know of) to justify writing a post about every week two. So here goes...

Coming into last weekend trailing the Red Sox by 5 1/2 games and staring down the barrel of a three game series in Fenway all I could hear from announcers were the hungry voices ready to bury the Yankees in the American League East.

Nevermind the fact that the Yankees lead the wild card by 3 1/2 coming into the weekend which just happens to be the same spot that 3 of the last 4 world series champions entered the playoffs.

But still, every media market was itching to be the first to declare the Yankees dead in the division. Although most of the media already did it in June when the Yankees were 10+ games back. You see how that worked out. However being just about out of contention in the division would be a newsworthy development in itself since the Yankees have won the division each of the past nine years.

I'm sure columnists were already pecking out there obituaries in the eigth inning on Friday night when the Yankees trailed the Red Sox 7-2. Okajima the Red Sox setup man with a sub 2 ERA was pitching and had been virtually untouchable against the Yankees, and if anything "crazy" happened there was always Papelbon looming in the pullpen just waiting to slam the door. It seemed like the perfect recipe to put the Yankees to bed this season once and for all.

The only problem is...The Yankees werent ready to cooperate.

Homeruns by Jason Giambi and Robinson Cano shrunk the lead to 7-4, and a couple batters later the Red Sox skipper, Terry Francona, was trotting out to the mound to bring in the "stopper," Papelbon, for a 6 out save.

So it was a heavyweight matchup. The captain Derek Jeter against the Red Sox closer Papelbon. Captain clutch vs. the Red Sox second year fireballer with Johnny Damon standing on second base. The captain didn't wait long. On the first pitch Jeter dunked one into right field to score Damon, and after Bobby Abreu lined a fastball off the centerfield wall to tie the game Alex Rodriguez strode to the plate.

Rodriguez, ever the target of the Yankee fan's criticism since his arrival due to his ineptness in situations just as the one that presented itself. Man on second, 2 outs, top of the eigth, against the hated Red Sox. In previous years A-Rod would have folded, flailed at 3 pitches and took a seat. But not this year, Rodriguez took a fastball and hit a skud missile into the left centerfield gap giving the Yankees the 8-7 lead.

From that point on it was the same old story. Rivera mopping up the win with a smooth ninth inning (a formula which has worked for the Yankees each of the past 9 years in their division championship run). Within a matter of 45 minutes columnists had changed their tune, from writing the Yankees obituaries to becoming eerily wary of the danger that looms from the men in pinstripes in October.