Just a short month ago, the Yankees were in third place in the American League East, trailing the Red Sox by three games. Since then, Boston has gone 19-8 while the Yankees have gone 11-15, leaving New York still in third place, but now 10 games out in the loss column (it's still too early to call it the "all important loss column").
What have we learned as Major League Baseball hits the quarter pole? Well for one, it was a huge mistake for the Yankees to have Carl Pavano as one of the cornerstones of their pitching staff. For another, this Yankees team is playing old. Giambi (who apparently has more steroid issues to deal with), Damon (his body is breaking down at an alarming rate) and Abreu just aren't getting it done. Whatever lightning Melky Cabrera and Robinson Cano caught in a bottle last year seems to have disappeared (have you ever seen a player bounce a throw off his foot before as Cano did over the weekend against the Mets?), and I'm still not convinced that Mariano Rivera is OK.
That said, keep this in mind - the Red Sox just aren't this good. Julian Tavarez winning 2-1? Kason Gabbard? Throw him through the league a couple of times and let me know what the results are.
Realistically, though, the Yankees have to take at least two of these three games for a couple of reasons. One is to possibly save their manager's job. Two is to remind some Red Sox fans that division races aren't won in May.
What have we learned as Major League Baseball hits the quarter pole? Well for one, it was a huge mistake for the Yankees to have Carl Pavano as one of the cornerstones of their pitching staff. For another, this Yankees team is playing old. Giambi (who apparently has more steroid issues to deal with), Damon (his body is breaking down at an alarming rate) and Abreu just aren't getting it done. Whatever lightning Melky Cabrera and Robinson Cano caught in a bottle last year seems to have disappeared (have you ever seen a player bounce a throw off his foot before as Cano did over the weekend against the Mets?), and I'm still not convinced that Mariano Rivera is OK.
That said, keep this in mind - the Red Sox just aren't this good. Julian Tavarez winning 2-1? Kason Gabbard? Throw him through the league a couple of times and let me know what the results are.
Realistically, though, the Yankees have to take at least two of these three games for a couple of reasons. One is to possibly save their manager's job. Two is to remind some Red Sox fans that division races aren't won in May.
