So Far This Series

the Sox have out-Yankee'd the Yankees. They've set records for LOBs, they've fielded poorly, especially for them, and their bullpen's as shaky as Sean Hannity's grasp on reality. The Yankees were able to overcome their own fielding woes in the night cap, largely because a)they put their home run swings in storage and looked for contact with men on and b) they got surprisinglyt good performances out of their own relievers.

Today the approach should be dictated entirely by what the starters do. They are the only meaningful players on the field who are not dragged out at this point. If Johnson outpitches Beckett, then I think you move heaven and earth to win this game, because this is the last potential mismatch you have on the mound. Mo for 2 innings if necessary; Fahrnsworth for sure, whatever Momma Joe's delicacy about bumps and bruises.

The Yanks are playing Williams in center--it turns out Torre is Bernie's bitch--and Giambi at first. I guess the thinking, and I use that term in the loosest possible sense, is that Johnson doesn't need good defense the way Wang does. But since Williams doesn't typically hit hard throwing righties very well, this move has to be written off as another one of Joda's follies. Boston is not starting Crisp, a huge concession to the disappointment he's become, nor Gonzalez, so they are weaker defensively as well. Javy Lopez is batting 5th, which is the worst protection Manny's received all year. Manny himself is not all that good against left-handed pitching for some reason, so maybe Francona doesn't much care if we pitch araound him.

The Yankees have already done what they absolutely needed to do in this series, and perhaps all they could be expected to do in Fenway, win 2. Best of all, when the night was done, Derek Jeter proclaimed, "this won't mean anything if we don't continue to play well." But at least now they are playing with house money.