Two Is the Loneliest Number

Let me preface this post by saying I'm extremely happy with everything that's happened in Yankee-land since Mike Mussina's meltdown on Monday in Detroit. Seattle got swept by the Angles, the Yanks tied up the Wild Card race, Mussina was pulled from the rotation in favor of Ian Kennedy (and not Kei Igawa), Pettitte and Clemens both came up huge. All very, very positive things. But...

There's always a but, isn't there? In this case, the "but" is the fact that the Yankees need to win today's game. Two games is a series win, that's great. Two games is a mini-streak, again great. Two wins against the Sox is doubly nice. The only problem is that today's game counts for two in the standings. A win, and the Yanks have picked up three on the Sox, and people start panicking in Beantown. A loss, and all they've accomplished is cutting an 8-game lead down to 7. Yippee. A loss, and the psychological effect on the Sox won't amount to a hill of beans. A loss, and the Yanks will lose their chance to occupy a playoff-bound spot in the standings all by themselves, something they haven't done in a long, long time.

The ace is on the hill, Chien-Ming Wang looked more like the Wanger we've come to depend on his last time out. The Sox starter should be wearing depends. I don't like anyone on the Boston roster. I don't think I'm physically able to. My feelings toward Schilling go so far beyond dislike I don't think I can put them into words. He's a loudmouth, he's a moron, he's a hypocrite and nothing would make me happier than to see the Yankees tear him to shreds.

Too many times this year the Yanks have been on the precipice of a sweep and came out flat for the finale. Too many wasted opportunities. This team needs to come out ready to play from the get-go, and punish Francona for leaving his starters in too long. The offense is clicking, the pitching is picking it up, and the defense has been stellar. Keep it up for one more game, finish off this sweep and you'll have everyone believing the A.L. East is a real race. You know who's going to believe it most of all? The Red Sox. They folded up shop last season after a demoralizing sweep, there's no reason this season should be any different.

Two sure has been nice, but I won't be satisfied with anything short of three.