IN YOUR FACE!

I ordinarily think the bean ball is an inexcusable tactic. But I am always willing to make an exception for the Red Sox. They throw so persistently at Yankee batters and seem to rest assured that slow Joe will be too "classy" or comatose to respond. So when they threw at Cano in the ninth, for no apparent reason, it was good to see Scott PRocter take advantage of Joe's earlier ejection. He picked out the hottest chowdrehead and took aim at his jawline. Would it have been hoorible if he actually clipped Youkilis and ended his season. Why...no, it wouldn't. It would be a lesson for everyone in Boston about playing with fire one too many times. At thbis point, I think the Yankees should make it known that Clemens will pitch on Sunday (even if he won't). That way Boston pitchers will have reason to believe that any further shenanigans will be met forcefully and with extreme prejudice.

As for the game itself, I think it was telling in a couple of respects. First, however well the Red Sox having been doing so far, their rotation is far less formidable than everyone has been saying. This was Wakefield's third or fourth poor outing in a row, which only means summer is here, Dice-K has been having real problems, even if they go undocumented in the national press, Tavaras is wildly inconsistent, particularly when he is not facing the Yankees, and Schilling looks quite hittable, particularly when he is facing the Yankees. Beckett may not lose a game all season, but I'm certain he's good for 1-2 more trips to the DL.

Meanwhile, it's hard to see the Yankees challenging anyone. But if they played the league with the same intensity they bring to the Bosox series, that wild card deficit (6 games and shrinking) would be gone in no time.