Swept away! Thank God it's over. What was billed as a great series between the two best teams turned into a train wreck. It was painful to watch knowing just how bad the outcome would be. Someone should stop by Murph's house to take away all the sharp objects. Friday started with a day night double bill. The Sox pitching staff is so decimated that the starting pitcher was sent back to the minors after the game. The Yankee staff wasn't much better on paper, Andy Phillips was placed on the dl before the game and an other pitcher was called up from Columbus leaving the Yankees with just three position players on the bench and 13 pitchers, but the Yankee arms came through. In six plus innings Chien-Ming Wang gave up only three runs on seven hits. The Yankee bats came alive (17 hits) and stunned the Red Sox faithful with a 12-4 win. They emptied the stadium only to fill it again with more of the Red Sox nation, what they saw turned out to be the longest nine inning game in baseball history and a second Yankee victory, 14-11. This is when Murphy stepped up. Forgoing a party at my house Murph went to Fenway to lead the Sox to victory over the evil empire. Saturday result, Yankee's 13, Sox 5. If Murphy couldn't help what or who could. Taking the mound trying to stop the bleeding Curt Schilling, the hero of 2004 sans bloody sock, kept the Bombers in check and turned the game over to the pen with the lead. The Yankees tied the game in the ninth against the star of the Sox bullpen, Jonathan Papelbon ( pronounced Papelblown), then scored three times against Craig Hansen in the 10th on home runs by Jason Giambi -- his second of the game -- and Jorge Posada.
This brings us to Monday and the chance for the sweep. Joe Torre didn't care, or at least his line up seemed that way, Posada( HR, a triple and a stolen base) resting, Giambi( two HR's on Sunday night)resting, Damon (nine hits, eight rbi's) resting, Jeter DH, Mariano unavailable. David Wells veris Cory Lidle. Which pitcher would come out on top? Wells gave up one run when he left, but left a runner on base. After a sac bunt moved the runner to third, relief pitcher Keith Foulke uncorked a wild pitch which scored Green giving the Yanks a two run lead. A Willy Mo Pena homer in the bottom of the eighth made the score 2-1 but that is as close as the Sox could get and the sweep was complete. Friday Yankees lead a tight 1.5 games Monday night the lead has ballooned to 6.5 games. Both teams head to the left coast for the rest of the week.

Division notes: Friday September 1, 2006 the afternoon at the track. The first race at Saratoga is 3pm, meet with your brothers for an evening of fun at the track.