Unfortunately, I said it would happen in the 14th. Missed it by that much.
How many times can the Yankees screw up two and no out?

In the 7th, I said to the dad. "You do realize there's only one way this game ends, right? After all this, A-Rod's gonna run into a flat slider."

And now I'm mobile?

We're 1-8, we're 1-8!

I remember being told in Little League, you always slide. Umpires would tell us, slide or you're out.

So, I wonder if Jorge Posada ever got that message. Jorge clearly had no idea what Melky, properly positioned and doing his job as the on-deck hitter, was telling him to do.

Furiously waving and pointing at the ground? While I'm running toward the plate and the crowd is going bonkers? What could you possibly mean?

That's an inexcusably lazy mental lapse on Posada's part.

Still rolling up 13 runs against the hated Red Sox is a good thing. The Red Sox are a shadow of the team they were at the beginning of the season, and I think it's a foregone conclusion the Yanks should and would win this opener against Smoltz.

It's a shame, really. The guy still looks like he knows what he's doing, but that nasty stuff he used to have is just a fraction off, and it's obvious.

Tonight, I expect A-Rod to get beaned. Maybe twice, after the Pedroia incident. Up 13-4, I doubt it was on purpose. With Josh Beckett and AJ Burnett, things could get interesting real quick.

My competition

Last night was a happy time for my wife.

While Nick Swisher was helping the Yanks win, her new favorite man, Christian Kane (really, that's his name?) was doing his thing on our new favorite show, "Leverage."

Notice any similarities?




Sure, Swisher has since cut his hair, but ... anyway, tough to compete with country singing action star and Yankees rightfielder. Sigh ...

Bring on the Sox.

It wasn't a dream

Fell asleep last night with the Yanks leading. Woke up for Matsui's late homer. It's a blur after that.

I remember the disgust on Halladay's face the last time he pitched against the Yanks, as they hit homer after homer. Didn't notice it this time. Can't blame the new Stadium, joke that it is.

And how about A-Rod? First inning two-out RBI double and then scores on the double error by Halladay and Barajas. Of course, he nearly ran himself into an out on his hit, then he inexplicably stopped, started, stopped, started coming around third while Halladay fumbled Millar's throw. Luck trumps skill every time.

From mlb.com: "I just got very lucky," Rodriguez said. "It was actually a very soft slide. I think the ball was so exposed that I nipped it a little bit, and it just popped out." Indeed.

With a little late help from the Rays, the Yanks extended their slim lead to 1.5 games.

Happily, the Yanks that were 0-8 against the Sox this season are a distant memory. I'm predicting 3 of 4 this weekend.

Windy City beat down

This weekend did not happen, like "The Next Karate Kid," "Rocky V," and the time I crashed into a diner.