At the end of July the Yankees had broken out of the gate in the second half on a tear. They had swept Detroit and Baltimore, taken 3 of 4 from Oakland, and then gone to Tampa Bay and won another 3 game series down there, 2-1.
But they hit a snag in Chicago. The White Sox at the time were red hot, and over the first three games they rode the lively Chicago crowd to victory, playing above themselves, getting all the bounces, and making life difficult for the Bombers, who had that look of surprise one gets while being suddenly mugged in a dark alley. In the process the White Sox looked like a second-half juggernaut poised for a pennant race and a playoff run, and the Yankees were only saved by Melky's cycle in the last game, which gave them a chance to salvage the last of the four games.
And yet, as with many things about this season (Joe Mauer's supremacy, the Red Sox's superiority over the Yankees, etc, etc), it was all a mirage. With a rather vengeful 3-game stomping this weekend, the Yankees proved it.
First it was CC and the Yankees getting the best of Mr. Perfect. Then a 10-0 wipeout, in which Mitre and Gaudin combined to 1-hit the Sox, while the Yankee bats laid waste to their pitching staff. And then today it was vintage Yankee baseball; a decent start by Joba, nice relief work by Aceves (who is now 9-1) and his crew, and a late inning explosion by the Yankee lineup.
Ballgame over. Mirage revealed.
Everything is just so wonderful in yankee land now, however, it would be nice if Wang could have joined the team and shared all of those best moments.
ReplyDeleteThe sun is indeed shining in Yankee land, and of course it would shine brighter if Wang were around. Next year, I guess.
ReplyDelete