Yankees (3-0) Win AL East
Red Sox (0-3)
Cleveland (1-2) Wild Card; Sox Out
Cleveland (0-3) Sox/Tribe playoff

Yankees (2-1) Win AL East
Red Sox (1-2)
Cleveland (2-1) Wild Card; Sox Out
Cleveland (1-2) Sox/Tribe playoff
Cleveland (0-3) Sox Wild Card; Tribe Out

Yankees (1-2)
Red Sox (2-1)
Cleveland (3-0) Wild Card; Sox/Yanks playoff
Cleveland (2-1) Sox/Yanks playoff; loser/Tribe playoff
Cleveland (1-2) Yanks AL East; Sox WC; Tribe Out

Yankees (0-3)
Red Sox (3-0) AL East Champs
Cleveland (2-1) Wild Card; Yanks Out
Cleveland (1-2) Yanks/Tribe playoff
Cleveland (0-3) Yanks Wild Card; Tribe Out

I can't see the Yankees sweeping Boston. Even two wins is a stretch, IMO. Boston is good team. One win (c'mon Wang) is probably, leading to a freakin playoff game. In that scenario, the loser either is the WC or goes home because that team doesn't have the same record as Cleveland (half game difference).

Ortiz is going to hit. Manny is going to hit. The trick is to minimize the damage, don't give up anything to the other guys. Our offense can counter M & O, that's not the problem. The starters need to keep the games close until we can get into Boston's bullpen and feast(and stay away from ours).

There's going to be no rest for GorMo this weekend.

And Mike, yeah, I've always loved "The Honeymooners." Been meaning to buy the original 39 on DVD. To be honest, I still miss the old days on WPIX when they played "The Odd Couple" at 11, "The Honeymooners" at 11:30 and "Star Trek" at midnight.

Let's hope we get a great lineup like that tomorrow night. Jeter and Rodriguez, Giambi and Sheffield, Wang and Rivera.

Unfortunately, that statement doesn't hold against Wakefield. That man scares the crap out of me.

Batting practice off of Wells!

I think I've posted maybe once this season, but I've been reading this blog for the last season and a half and I'll be damned if Bronx Banter isn't my first stop of the day. Amazing win, heartbreaking loss, there's nothing more comforting than knowing everyone else here is going through the same thing. Sure, we've all got out friends who we watch and discuss the games with, but not everyone is as eloquent and knowledgable as many of the folks who've posted comments here.

Sorry to gush on and on, and feel free to completely ignore this post, but I'm incredibly hyped up about the series and just coming here and reading everything is making me even more excited but it's also soothing.

Anyway, thank you guys again for a terrific year. I've got a good feeling about the weekend, and hopefully we've got another month left of bantering in the Bronx. We've looked great these past few weeks. It's payback time.

"In a shocking display of common sense, Major League Baseball decided not to stop after one game, but will force all the teams with the same record to play at least one elimination game."

If all three teams tie, Yanks-Sox loser gets a shot at Cleveland.

From reading the posts in the last 12 hours I'm getting a sense of slight despair in Yankeeland. Seems as though the BOS come-from-behind win took a lot of steam out of everyone's engines. Listen, that's understandable but who's got the 1-game lead? Whose got the better starting pitching (middle relief is a disasterous wash)? Who's got Mo? Who's looked more like a bonafide playoff team over the past 2 weeks?

Let's get a little angry and a 'whole lot' aggressive people. The Yanks owe these chumps the indignity of early tee times next week and they owe it to them on their field in front of their fans. It's something that's been brewing for the better part of the last 12 months. Lets take the fight to these guys already!

Ah, the good ol' days!!!!

As for all the comment Alex made above in his analysis:
"It's as if they want something vicious and violent to go down."

I think a lot of Yankee fans feel that way.

Kinda sounds like the atmosphere among the lot of us.

I feel good about tonight, Obi-Wang projects an icy-coolness that reminds me of Mo at his best. Here we go again . . .

Yeah, (i) I am thousands of miles away from Fenway, (ii) nobody around me in Mexico gives a crap about this series (no TV coverage for the sat and sun games), (iii) there will be at least 20 millionairs playing on the field tonight and through the weekend(I'm certainly NOT a millionaire) that will get their million dollar paycheck regardless of the outcome, (iv) I don't know and I am not expecting to meet anyone of those players, and (v) my life WILL NOT change based on the outcome of the games (except that if the Yanks lose I may get some work done).

Be that as it may, and there are cetainly a lot of compelling reasons to be "a mature rational adult" here, I know that I will be a walking corpse all through the weekend with my stomach ache to keep me company...

Good luck Alex

Good job, Alvaro. WE OWE THESE MOTHERFUCKERS SOME PAIN!!!!!

I have to go to a huge departmental twice a year meeting on saturday at 1:00 my time, so 4:00 EST. There will be no tvs or radio and it will last for hours. I might lose my mind, so I guess I will have to sneak in a walkman or something, there's really no other option, reputation be damned!

A-Rod and Jeter both have great numbers vs Wells, in a decent amount of AB's, Posada as well, in less at-bats, and Ruben has hit him historically, though with both those dinosaurs, I don't know if I should say pre-historically.

I think we can get this done this weekend, but it won't be pretty.

In terms of the Yanks chances, they're actually pretty good. Check out http://yankeefan.blogspot.com/2005/09/mission-possible.html for a run down of the scenarios. Basically, we have to win ONE game in order to guarantee a share of the division, which would guarantee at least a one game playoff. And I'll take a chance against Sox pitching after Wells and Wakefield any day. If Toronto can get to Arroyo and Clement, I'm pretty sure Jeter, Sheff, Arod, Matsui, and Giambi can do it.

WaPo has an article on Small:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/9537402/

Really an amazing story. How on earth did a guy who was 1-4 in AAA suddenly become a 10-0 ace for the Yankees?

The last paragraph of the article is kind of cute. Small reveals that he and his wife discussed it, and decided to splurge on DirecTV so she could watch his games. LOL! Now that he's in the majors, he should be able to spring for the $50. :)

Another tidbit from the article: a "prominent Oriole" says that there are at least five players on the Yankees bench who would be starters on the Orioles: Matt Lawton, Mark Bellhorn, Ruben Sierra, Tino Martinez and Tony Womack. Geez. We complain about the likes of Lawton, Womack, Sierra, etc., and the Orioles are coveting them.

I think we take tonight and take tomorrow. Sunday we play an infield of Bellhorn @ 3rd, Escalona @ SS, Cano @ 2nd and Phillips @ 1st, let De Paula pitch, and throw anyone we can find in the outfield.

Just my thoughts... Where is Stormer I've missed his posts lately.

Love this blog by the way...

I am confident that we can take 2 out of 3 from the Sox, though. We took 3 out of 4 the last time we were in Fenway, and I think we've gotten better and the Sox have gotten worse since then.

But it's the Wakefield game that we're most likely to lose, IMO. He's their best pitcher these days. And being a knuckleballer, we aren't going to be able to tire him out and get past him to the weak bullpen. They will be able to do that to us, though.

1. Alvaro Espinoza //There's no way you pitch to him in any big spot in this series. Take your chances w/ Manny each and every time.//

With all due respect Alvaro, like hell you do. I'm assuming you believe in the idea of clutch hitting considering you used the phrase "big spot". While the definition of clutch as defined by the hardballtimes.com isn't the end all/be all definition, their clutch stat demonstrates that Manny is the absolute last guy (excepting Sheffield) that should be pitched to in a situation like that.

http://tinyurl.com/ckdq7

2. Field the B team on Sunday if the Yanks win the first two? Only if the Indians have already sealed the WC. Otherwise, the Yanks have to bring everything they have got. Better seeing the Red Sox once on the 2nd rather than in the ALCS.

3. Playing in a broom closet is a two way street. Here's hoping for some serious blasts from the Yanks.

Jen, wouldn't it be great to see Bernie be the 'manager' on Sunday? That would be a great way to end the regular season.

Finally, I totally endorse the idea of Jeter bunting to lead off the game. I'm almost ready to endorse hitting Cano second, just so he can bunt too. Yet another reason why Crosby should play, Sierra's pre-historic (thanks, Knuckles!) stats vs Wells be damned.

Also, Matt B you are correct, "The Twilight Zone" did follow "Star Trek," I'd forgotten about that.

I anguish over the darker possibilities. Yet, I have to admit that this rivalry, this 3 year battle, has been one of the greatest seen in our game. It's a privilege, if not always a joy, to watch.

And thanks for the great coverage in this blog. It is always my first stop on the Yankee Internet Highway.

Considering that four of the weekend's starters, Wang (only 3 starts all year against teams with winning records), Wells (knee), Mussina (obvious), and Schilling (obvious), are questionable, this should all come down to which team can get into the other's bullpen early.

Both teams seem fine late, Rivera/Gordon vs. Timlin/Papelbon, but in front of that the only guys who have pitched well of late are DiNardo and Myers for the Sox and nobody for the Yanks.

Repeat cycle about 10 times and that's their interview.

it's gonna be wild. Tonight is huge. I like the fact that Papelbon can't pitch tonight.

I lost a lot of respect for Gammons when his site on ESPN ("Insider") went pay.

He's supposed to be a real fan, a man of the people, bullshit....