Hi all.  Here’s how I see baseball on this Tuesday, September 10.  Taking 3 out of 4 this weekend and 14 of 19 for the year, the Yankees efficiently eliminated their archrivals, the Red Sox from playoff competition this year.

  Last year, the story was so painfully different.  The Yankees, along with most teams in baseball were humiliated by the Red Sox.  The only bright side was the Dodgers’ 18-inning victory in game 3 of what was otherwise a dull, one-sided World Series.  Living upstairs from a displaced Red Sox fan, I had a tough row to hoe, particularly after the Red Sox demolished the Yankees 16–1 in a playoff game last year. This season, in spite of dozens of crippling injuries to their best players, the Yankees will play postseason ball this year while the Red Sox set up their tee times, and do whatever else defeated ball players do while they wait for next year to happen. 

  This year, the Yankees took 14 of 19 from the Red Sox including 3 out of 4 this weekend.  James Paxton dominated the final game between the two rivals as the Yankees took a 5-0 victory last night.  Their two home runs were hit by players you might never have heard of if the Yankee regulars had stayed healthy.  Backup catcher Austin Romine hit a solo home run accounting for the Yankees’ only run against boston starter Eduardo Rodriguez.  After he left, the Yankees mounted a 3-run charge in the 7th, featuring a home run by Gio Urshela, a third baseman who might have been traded or spent the year at AAA Scranton if Miguel Andujar, the outstanding rookie third sacker from last year hadn’t spent the entire season on the DL with a damaged shoulder. Meanwhile James Paxton, who was building a reputation and earning the nickname “The Big Maple” in Seattle a year ago has now gained his footing in the Bronx.  He won his 8th consecutive start last night, a feat no Yankee pitcher has done since Ivan Nova in 2011. It has to be a good feeling for Paxton, who took a ton of heat from the demanding Yankees’ fan base.  He now has 13 wins, more than he’s picked up in any season up to now.  8 of those wins have come in his last 8 starts. 

  Taking 14 of 19 from the Red Sox means a lot more to the Yankees than taking 16 of 19 from the Orioles.  The last time the Yankees had this much success against their bitter rivals from Fenway was in 1960, when they took 15 of 22 from the “Saux” as they are called once you get past where Route 84 merges with route 91.  From there on you’re in Red Sox nation, from Connecticut to Quebec. Boston had the last laugh in 1960 as the Yankees were beaten in the World Series by the Pirates.  Those 1960 Red Sox, along with most players in the game had to get off-season jobs.  1960 was well before the players began to receive the insane salaries they do now. With no need to work from October to March, the Sox can only watch as the Yankees, Astros and in all likelihood the Twins battle on and one team represents the junior circuit in the World Series.