12eight

TOP 1st: 3-0 NYY
This is what I would call an inauspicious beginning.  A Jeter single, an A-Rod single (with Jeter taking third on Damon's 'arm'), a botched Giambi DP ball that scores Jeter and forces A-Rod out at second, and then... Gary Sheffield.  A blast on a knee high knuckler that he caught and lifted over the Monster.  A ground out and a fly out ended it, but the damage has been done; we need to get to Johnson.  Right out of the gate.

BOTTOM 1st: 3-2 NYY (in progress)

MANUEL ARISTEDES

RAMIREZ

3-2

BOTTOM 1st: 3-2 NYY
It looked like a lost opportunity; Damon took a five pitch walk, then stole second on the first pitch to Renteria.  Renteria moved him to third on a sac fly into the RF corner, but Ortiz promptly K'd (and no, it didn't look to me like that ball hit him).  That brought up Manny Ramirez, who absolutely crushed an 0-2 pitch around - and quite possibly above - the Fisk pole.  Millar flew out to right, but we got a couple back.  Now we need to hold them.  Let's do some work, Wake.

TOP 2nd: 5-2 NYY
Blegh.  A Martinez bleeder single was followed by  sharp liner at Millar, about two inches above his head, that glanced off his glove and shot into the RF corner.  It was a hard shot, but - in my view - a catchable ball.  Still, it would up being a Bernie Williams double, putting men on 2 and 3 with none out.  Two sac flies later, the Yanks had added 2 runs.  Let's hope we can keep the run parade going here in the bottom half.

BOTTOM 2nd: 5-2 NYY
Bases loaded.  Mueller walk, Graffanino 'single' through Jeter, Damon walk.  In between, K's from Mirabelli and Nixon.  Renteria works the 3-2.  Johnson's losing it; he can't find the zone, he's up to 50 pitches... and Edgar swings through a low fastball.  A tough pitch, a well-placed pitch, and a massive missed opportunity.  Time for Timmy to hold them.

TOP 3rd: 6-2 NYY
It looked like it might be a nice easy 1-2-3, but the newly-sharp Wake was interrupted by a long blast by Matsui just over the CF wall.  Still, if the pattern continues (3 in the first, 2 in the second, 1 in the third) that should be the end of NYY scoring, right?  Right?

BOTTOM 3rd: 6-2 NYY
I'm getting a bit pissed off here.  Johnson's not right today, he's just not.  He's missing his spots, he's been wild in the zone, and we just can't convert.  Aside from a nice Ortiz double to lead off, nothing doing in the third; the camera also found Lenny DiNardo walking around in the Sox pen.  If Wake continues to get into trouble, we'll see him throwing.

TOP 4th: 6-2 NYY
THERE we go, Timmy!  A nice, quick, easy 1-2-3 inning.  If he can turn this thing around and do that some more, and if we can tack on a couple against Johnson while running up that pitch count... we've got a shot at this one.  Get it done.

BOTTOM 4th: 6-2 NYY (in progress)
You know what?  I don't want to see the Indians game.  Flashing the score up on the screen every few minutes is just fine.  I want to see the Red Sox.  Knock it off, please.

BOTTOM 4th: 6-2 NYY
Same old.  2 quick outs, though they were loud: a Mirabelli shot caught on the warning track in front of the scoreboard by Matsui, then a Nixon sinking liner caught in full dive by Sheff in the RF corner.  Graffanino put down a single and stole 2rd during Damon's 10 pitch AB, but Damon grounded weakly to 2nd to end it.  Still, Johnson's now at 84 pitches; another inning as long as that one and he could be done.  Wake, meanwhile, is at 61 through 4 - not great, but better than RJ.

TOP 5th: 7-2 NYY (in progress)
A-Rod goes deep, and this game is on a razor's edge.

TOP 5th: 7-2 NYY
Another inning, another notch in the Yankees' belt here.  A-Rod topped Manny's earlier shot with this one, a no doubter that cleared it all in left.  Surrounding him were outs of various shapes and sizes, and that's well and good, but we're now looking at a 5 run deficit with 5 offensive innings to play.  Time to step this up, and time to remove Randy from this ballgame that he's somehow clung to.

BOTTOM 5th: 7-2 NYY
Well, we gave them exactly what they needed there; a very quick 1-2-3 inning for Randy Johnson, extending him into the 6th.  5 pitches there; two needed to get Edgar to pop out, only one to induce a 3U from Papi.  2 more to get a 5-3 groundout from Manny.  From 84 pitches after 4 to 89 after 5, and we are running out of chances.  Wake's gone, and... good lord.  Mike Stanton is in.

TOP 6th: 7-2 NYY (in progress)
And can we please shut up about the shadows?  I mean, of the dead horses for you guys to beat severely today, you chose a decent one; better than, for example, how classy Gary Sheffield is.  But honestly, we get it.

TOP 6th: 7-2 NYY
Mike Stanton - and yes, I'm writing this - has a very solid inning in relief of Wake.  Meanwhile, should I send these guys a link to the playoff scenarios?  They seem to be having a tough time.  I was pretty sure they were paid to know this, but apparently I was wrong.

BOTTOM 6th: 7-2 NYY
FOX just flashed a fairly amazing stat up there, showing that Wake had a strike thrown % of 81%, which is generally unheard of.  In fact, I'm fairly certain that moves into the 'too high' category, especially for a knuckleballer; you need a certain numer of balls, especially with a pitch that moves that much, to be effective and get swings and misses.  In the meantime, Johnson K's the side; we're looking at Gordon and then two innings of Rivera - if needed.  Which, at this rate, it won't be.

Meanwhile, with th White Sox taking a 4-1 lead, prepare yourselves to see the Yankees celebrate at Fenway today; with a win for them and a loss for Cleveland, they will have clinched their 8th straight AL East title.

TOP 7th: 7-2 NYY
I think everyone was amazed that the Yankees didn't hit a homer that inning; as Jeremeye Gonzalez came off the mound after K'ing Jeter for the Sox second 1-2-3 inning of the day, he looked around, arms up in a shrug, for some guidance from his teammates.  Sure enough, he was informed, he did not fuck up.  The inning was over.  So might be the ballgame, but that's another thing entirely.

Regardless, the flip side of that comment above is that if the current Cleveland score holds - they trail 4-1 in the bottom of the 7th - the Sox are guaranteed at least a one-game playoff for either the division or the Wild Card (or both!)  If Cleveland loses, then, tomorrow will not be the final game for either the Yanks or the Sox, regardless.

TONY IS...

GRRRRREAT!

7-3

BOTTOM 7th: 7-3 NYY
The rest of them... kind of eh.

TOP 8th: 7-3 NYY (in progress)
Gonzalez out, DiNardo in.  This game is effectively over now; let's all root for the other Sox, who now hold a narrow, 4-3 lead over the Indians at Jacobs Field.

TOP 8th: 8-3 NYY (in progress)
That was a horseshit call, but it's the Yanks after all.  The run still would have scored, and this game would be just as out of reach.  Go, Chicago, much as I loathe you.

TOP 8th: 8-3 NYY
DiNardo actually had quite a nice little inning there, despite the weirdness.  Not that any of it matters.  Win tomorrow.  W'll get Gordon in the bottom of the inning, despite the 5 run lead; hopefully we can tire him out, at least.

BOTTOM 8th: 8-3 NYY (in progress)
Johnson's gone, but not before stretching himself into the 8th, allowing 3 runs on two homers.  He retired Ortiz on a grounder to 1st for the first out of the 8th.  Gordon in, and the Sox at least have a chance to stretch him out now, and maybe knock him around a little bit in anticipation of tomorrow.

BOTTOM 8th: 8-4 NYY (in progress)

MAN

WELL

8-4
(okay, yeah, big whoop, but... MANNY!)

BOTTOM 8th: 8-4 NYY
So, we got the run back.  4 run deficit going into the ninth; not insurmountable, but it would be something of an understatement to say I would be shocked.  Most likely, we'll see Gordon back out at first, but if they'd rather bring in Rivera needlessly, fine be me; he'll be that much more tired tomorrow.

TOP 9th: 8-4 NYY (in progress)
Bradford out, Hansen in.  Getting him some Yankee experience just in case?  Seems like an odd choice, but at this point what the hell.  If we're gonna give up on the game, though, why not just use Harville?

TOP 9th: 8-4 NYY (in progress)
Cleveland loses 4-3, guaranteeing that the Red Sox cannot be eliminated from play tomorrow; a win for the Red Sox in tomorrow's game (or - what the hell - in this one) gives us the Wild Card.

TOP 9th: 8-4 NYY
Hansen does his job, and now the offense will try to turn this around in what would only be described as a truly stunning comeback.  Which, if I recall correctly, we already pulled off at some point in the past calendar year.

BOTTOM 9th: 8-4 NYY (in progress)
One down, as after a single from Tek that Cano fucked up, Nixon drilled a ball into right, but also into Sheffield's waiting glove.  Graffanino and Damon due, Renteria if either reaches.

BOTTOM 9th: 8-4 NYY (in progress)
2 outs.  A-Rod is such an ass.

FINAL: 8-4 NYY
So, I don't give a shit about the Division win, or about the Yanks celebrating at the Fens.  I care about the number 1.  That, ladies and gentlemen, is our Magic Number for the Wild Card.  If we win tomorrow, OR if Cleveland loses tomorrow, that's it.  No one game playoff, no added drama, just the exact same scenario with which we won the World Series last year: the Wild Card.

Win tomorrow.