Posted on 08/18/2006 8:27:35 AM PDT by Airborne1986
It's now or never for the New York Yankees.
The Yankees open a five-game series at Fenway Park on Friday with their alter egos in the American League East, the Boston Red Sox. Just 1 1/2 games will separate the two teams when that series begins.
Since the All-Star break, the Sox have slipped considerably, going 16-17 with problems surfacing with their starting pitching, relief corps and hitting (with the exception of David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez). The Yankees, meanwhile, seem to have righted themselves after a long year of struggles with injuries and under-producing pitchers such as Randy Johnson. New York has gone 20-12 since the break to move past Boston into first place, a five-game reversal in 31 games.
Yet even with the additions of Bobby Abreu and Cory Lidle and the improved pitching of Johnson, the Yankees won't separate themselves from the Red Sox if they don't make a move during this series, because Boston may be the most resilient team in the American League, if not in all of baseball. ...
For all the Red Sox difficulties of late, especially with their pitching, they could be tied for the division lead by Saturday morning if everything goes right and if they continue to play at home the way they have thus far.
That would give the Red Sox the advantage in the series and for the rest of the season. They would have their top three pitchers — Josh Beckett, Curt Schilling and David Wells — going in the final three games against the Yankees, with a chance to turn the tables on them just when much of the world felt New York was ready to assert itself and pull away.
....
(Excerpt) Read more at msnbc.msn.com ...
I say we make it so.
2004 Yankees: Worst collapse in sports history. Get used to it - it's never going to go away.
Sports writers. Remember how NY's George King screwed Pedro out of MVP saying that he didn't think that pitchers should get it? Turns out he had voted for two pitchers in past years.
"I say we make it so."
Sounds about right to me.
Good. I'll bang my list
Not most valuable batter.
Ortiz is great at what he does, but he's only half a ballplayer.
A DH shouldn't win the MVP.
The Red Sox lost the World Series. The Yankees lost the Pennant. Which is a greater loss?
lol
I'll bet the Yankees hit 27 before the Bosox hit 6.
Blowing a 3-0 lead with your closer on the mound in game 4 is worse.
Besides, the Yankees choked in game 7 of the 2001 series.
Hmmm, maybe Rivera isn't all that when the big marbles are on the line
5 Game series thread happening here
Rivera is the greatest closer in history.
So DH isn't a position in major league baseball?
Bring on little chicken wang..let's GET IT STARTED. Popi is going to take New Yuk back to school.
Would this be the same MFYs that had their rear-ends handed to them by the O's (a team the Sox swept last weekend FYI) to the tune of 12-2?
I like the Red Sox's chances!
A Rod's fielding is so bad that it weakens the team.
Who is the most feared batter in the game today with the game on the line?
Jeter with his Drama Queen antics at the plate?
Gay Rod with his strike outs and pop ups when the game is on the line and home runs when the game is already decided?
No.
Ask any manager in the game and they will tell you that Oritz is the man that they fear the most.
Just do us Red Sox fans a favor and keep A-Fraud at third. He's on a record pace.
Let's hope he can make it back before the playoffs.
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