Wrapping it up

Thoughts: It's only one win. And no, it doesn't "break the seal" or prove to the Yankees that, "Yes, we can beat Boston," because if you think they entered this game thinking "We can't beat the Red Sox," you're crazy. But it's certainly better to win than lose.

But I'm not impressed. I'm not disgusted, but it was a tough performance to watch for Joba Chamberlain. As far as the offense, they hit the hell out of a John Smoltz who in the best-case scenario is still recovering from off-season arm surgery, or, in the more likely scenario, is a completely shot pitcher; then they poured it on against Billy Traber, who will not pitch in any meaningful innings for the Red Sox. Light up Josh Beckett tomorrow and I'll be impressed. By "light up," I mean "score four runs."

A Yankee will get plunked hard by a pitch before this weekend is over. That's fine. But I don't have any sympathy for the Red Sox. Pedro Martinez and co. used Derek Jeter as their personal pinatas for years. The Yankees have to handle this situation like men. You will remember, Varitek's mashing of A-Rod's face with his mitt, however sissified it was by the presence of his mask, was clearly the turning point of the Red Sox 2004 season -- and, by extension, Red Sox history. It is also easy to remember that the Yankees' gangsta response to Armando Benitez's plunking of Tino Martinez in 1998 was the moment that galvanized that team as the greatest of its generation.

Something is about to happen between these two teams. I can feel it. How they handle it could go a long way toward determining how ready each one is heading toward the home stretch of this pennant race.

LET'S GO YANKEES!