Mark Texiera hit a single. So did Robinson Cano. And down by a single run with a two outs and a 3-2 count, the Philadelphia Phillies turned Yankees savior Raul Ibanez stepped into the batters box. One devastatingly gutsy slider from Phil Coke later, the Yankees officially have their back against the wall.

The question now is simple – can the 2012 Yankees match what only the 2004 Red Sox have managed to do in the history of baseball – come back from down 0-3 in the ALCS? I doubt it, but I wouldn’t rule them out just yet. CC Sabathia will be taking the mound in game 4, and the Yankees bats just have to come alive at some point. If they manage to in time, watch out.

Last night’s game really brought three issues to light for me. The first is the issue of the Yankees’ team chemistry. New York fans have been so quick to point out the Red Sox flawed chemistry, that perhaps they haven’t spent enough time reflecting on their own team’s lack thereof. There’s no question that the Yankees clubhouse doesn’t even begin to resemble the catastrophe that was the Red Sox this past season – hell, they made the playoffs. But I think it’s been apparent for a long time now that while stockpiling loads of talent can win you a championship on occasion, it’s incredibly tough to do it without the right chemistry in the dugout and locker room. Do you think the Yankees have the chemistry that the 2004 Red Sox had? Far from it. How about the Tigers of this season? No way. If you think the Yankees are playing for each other and not simply for those fat paychecks the only thing smoking more than you is Justin Verlander’s right shoulder.

Which brings me nicely to the subject of Justin Verlander, whose 132 pitch performance last night was yet another gem. Verlander’s last two seasons represent undoubtedly the most dominating pitching we’ve seen since Pedro Martinez decided to light up the league from 1997-2003. I can rest somewhat assured knowing that if the Yankees do push this series to seven games, it will be Verlander taking the mound.

All of this makes me think back to March, when I wrote my 2012 Red Sox season preview and mused on the competitive landscape of the AL. I wrote, “The Yankees will be good. The Tigers will be awesome.” And after a season in which I heard so much about the Yankees playing so well despite so many injuries, coupled with the Tigers’ relatively lackluster performance in the regular season, this sentiment seems to be ringing true at last. Detroit is now 9-3 against the Yankees in their last 12 meetings.

At the end of the day it’s tough to match up against a team with the most dominant pitcher in baseball, a triple crown winner, and Prince Fielder thrown in, just for good measure. I had been rooting for the Nats to win it all, but I’m now solidly in camp Detroit.

In a season in which I’ve been to more Red Sox games than any other, last night I officially lay the 2012 Red Sox to rest. Sure, at 15.5 games back in the AL East the Red Sox have been over and done with for some time now. Bet despite my grief, I needed closure. It felt very much like a funeral as I walked through the Yawkey Way entrance.

I can vividly remember buying a ticket package last January. I specifically chose the package that I did because it included a Yankees vs Red Sox game on September 11th – a late season game bound to have playoff implications. Instead I watched a decimated Red Sox team trying their best to play spoiler. As my girlfriend scanned the starting line-up on the centerfield scoreboard, unprovoked she stated, “I only recognize two names up there.” Whether you’re a Red Sox fan or not, almost everyone in Boston (except Mayor Menino) has gotten used to rattling off names like Papelbon, Big Papi, Beckett, A-Gone, Youk, and Pedroia. Instead last night’s lineup was filled with Loney, Lavarnway, Kalish, and Ciriaco. Only the names of Ellsbury and Pedroia resonated with the casual fan.

The game itself was bittersweet, for several reasons. Sweet in the sense that Jacoby Ellsbury had a walk-off single, one which would drop the Yankees back into a tie for the AL East lead with the Orioles. As much as I want to root hard for the Yankees to somehow fade and miss the playoffs, it just ain’t happening – the rest of their schedule is brutally easy and mostly at home. It was also sweet to see Dustin Pedroia hit a home run to tie the game after the Sox found themselves down 3-2. Pedroia and Ellsbury absolutely have to stay – I just hope that Ellsbury wants to, and Scott Boras doesn’t play spoiler.

Fenway was stuffed to the max, which frankly was surprising to me. I guess the Fenway faithful will always get up for Red Sox vs Yankees, regardless of how poorly the hometown team is playing. I managed to find seats in the second row directly behind the Sox dugout, and it was more of the same – sloshed 60-year-old businessmen sitting in front of us, similarly sloshed 22-year-old college kids from Boston and Philadelphia sitting behind us and heckling Yankees first baseman Nick Swisher to no end. Swisher, to his credit, was a good sport and went back and forth with people in the stands on several occasions. He clearly has some “idiot” in him, and I couldn’t help but wonder if he’ll end up in Boston next season. On the Red Sox side Jacoby Ellsbury was one of the few to acknowledge the fans as he ran into the dugout each inning.

While the house was packed and the game was tight, there’s no doubt that the Red Sox lineup was missing many of the old personalities that’s made this rivalry great in recent years. The electricity that you’d expect in any Yankees vs Red Sox series, let alone a September series, just wasn’t there. Bobby Valentine seemed to trudge out to the mound as he pulled Lester from the game, and it felt very much like the good times had passed the team by.

Realistically, it might take 2 or 3 seasons for the Red Sox to truly emerge as a contender once again. And while there’s no doubt that Red Sox fans will continue to head to Fenway in droves, it won’t truly be the Fenway I’ve come to love until the electricity is back in the air.

For now we have the Patriots – New England is now solely focused on you, Mr. Brady. Go get ‘em.

The Red Sox and the Yankees will tango at Fenway for a final time this season, as a 3-game series between the two clubs begins tonight. While the Sox have already won the season series, this particular series is still vitally important as the Yankees sit only 1.5 games behind the Sox in the AL East standings. With the final series between the two clubs set for September 23-25 at Yankee Stadium, this series certainly is important in terms of momentum between the two rivals.

John Lackey (12-9, 5.98ERA) faces off against CC Sabathia (17-7, 2.99ERA) tonight, with Beckett vs. Hughes and Lester vs. Burnett to follow. While Beckett has been the best pitcher for the Sox this season, historically Lester has been by far the most successful against the Yanks.

I’ve got the Red Sox taking 2 of 3. Who you got?

A guest post by Josh Baldwin, a technology blogger and sports enthusiast

A lifelong, diehard Yankees fan, I recently took my first trip to Fenway Park to watch my Yankees play the Red Sox. This was not simply watching a highlight game on Direct TV or tuning into the Yankees’ YES network – it was the real thing, at last. I do not live in a state with a professional baseball team, but grew up in a family of New Yorkers and have always found ways to get to Yankee Stadium a couple of times a year; so, naturally I am more used to a gigantic, glitzy stadium than a smaller, simpler one. That said, my first impression of Fenway was that it had a certain charm… to me, not quite a charm that equaled that held by old Yankee Stadium, but still something in that league.

Long before game time, I was walking around, exploring the ballpark in an aisle about twelve rows up behind the Yankee dugout. Two Red Sox fans in front of me were walking along talking about how Dustin Pedroia was becoming the Red Sox version of Jeter… the kind of passionate leader and consistent performer with an x-factor that fans will always be in love with. Meanwhile, Derek Jeter himself walked over to the side of the dugout, tossing balls to elated kids and smiling widely. The Boston fans in front of me stopped in their tracks, one excitedly asking the other “Was that Jeter?” I smiled behind him… “Yeah, it was,” I replied. “Be in awe.” He had no response… it was as if we’d silently agreed that the fact that Jeter’s presence had delighted even him meant that Pedroia, while promising, has a long way to go to achieve the same level of reverence among the fans.

This was merely the beginning of what I considered an underwhelming first visit to Fenway Park. From everything I’ve ever heard and experienced in the Yankees-Red Sox rivalry, Boston fans ought to have been screaming themselves hoarse at me for pointing out Jeter’s greatness… no children of Red Sox fans should have been giddy to be tossed balls by Jeter. I wore my Yankees clothing and loudly supported my team all weekend, and I was barely even heckled. When the Yankees won, I received no anger or taunts about the Sox owning the season series. When the Yankees lost, no one rubbed it in my face…. All of this while the two biggest rivals in professional sports battle for first place.

Clearly, I am biased toward New York, and I will be the first to admit it… but I don’t write this to put down Fenway Park or Boston fans specifically… more to illustrate that, as much as it pains me to say it, the rivalry is losing its luster. New Yankee Stadium is far tamer than its predecessor – that much I already knew. But it appears that Fenway has lost its spark as well. I can only hope that the coming postseason brings drama and reignites the flame that so recently burned between us.

After a wild weekend of baseball at Fenway, the Red Sox clinched their season series against the Yankees and remained atop the AL East standings. Friday night saw a nailbiter as John Lester, Bartolo Colon, and their respective bullpens battled it out to a 3-2 Yankees victory. On Saturday the Red Sox continued their dominance of CC Sabathia en route to a 10-4 victory. Sabathia is now 0-4 with a 7+ ERA on the season versus the Sox while going 16-2 against all other opponents.

As for last night’s series concluding match-up, well, it was befitting of this rivalry to say the least. Josh Beckett pitched 6 innings of 1-run ball, yielding yet another no decision as Freddy Garcia threw 5 innings allowing a single earned run as well. The Red Sox squandered bases loaded opportunities in the 2nd and 6th innings, displaying nothing but an ineffective offense until the bottom of the 9th inning when they found themselves down 2-1. All of a sudden, three players executed perfectly. Marco Scutaro drove a double high off the monster, Jacoby Ellsbury laid down a perfect bunt to move him to third, and Dustin Pedroia (who was 0-10 against Mariano Riveira in his career) drove a ball to deep left field scoring Scutaro and tying the game.

Surprise surprise David Ortiz doubled in the bottom of the tenth, setting up a Josh Reddick game winning single. This hit was huge for Reddick, who has come out of the AAA gates hot as could be. After cooling off  bit as of late, I think this hit will help Reddick keep his momentum going and realize that he can contribute the the team’s success at the highest level. As I watched this game go into extra innings just after midnight you couldn’t tell from the atmosphere at Fenway that it wasn’t October.

The Red Sox are now 10-2 against the Yankees this season, so I have few major concerns there. But I must admit that watching Freddy Garcia and Bartolo Colon pitch so well against the Sox only adds to my hesitations about whether or not Boston will be able to beat the Phillies in October. We’re still a few months away, so for now we’ll savor this win.

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The Red Sox beat the Yankees 6-4 last night, coming out of the gates strong with a Jacoby Ellsbury home run to lead off the game and a three run first inning. Yankees starter Freddy Garcia looked horrible, and was hit hard literally from the first pitch of the game until he was pulled after an inning and 2/3. Garcia was throwing fastballs up in the zone at 87 mph, and simply looked like he didn’t care at all. I haven’t watched Garcia pitch a whole lot so I don’t know if this is his typical style, but I’m not sure if I’ve ever been as taken aback by a pitcher’s mannerisms. The camera showed Garcia rolling his eyes several times after letting up hits, and he nonchalantly strolled around the mound gazing off into the outfield between almost every pitch. John Lester also struggled in the first inning, the only inning this season in which he’s thrown more than 30 pitches. He managed to keep the damage to a single run, and settled down for a pretty decent start and his 8th win of the season.

My favorite part of the game was David Ortiz’s reaction to the home run he hit, which he clearly knew was out of the park as soon as the ball left his bat. Joe Girardi took exception to Ortiz’s bat flip after the game, saying that he was simply “protecting his rookie pitcher” while noting that he’s never had a problem with Ortiz who has been a clutch player for a long time. I’m not sure how this is protecting your pitcher – he’s a big 24 year old boy Joe, he can handle letting up a home run, but I suppose I understand the sentiment. That said, I’ve got to agree with Ortiz in this situation – as he put it, “That’s just Papi style.” In my eyes if you crush it and you know it, more power to you.

Another takeaway from the game was Jonathan Papelbon became the fastest reliever in baseball history to reach 200 saves, doing so in his 359th appearance of his career. This feat took the Yankees Mariano Rivera 382 appearances, for comparison’s sake. Papelbon acknowledged Rivera after the game, referring to him as “The Godfather” of his position. All I know, and I’m guilty of it as well, is that Papelbon has had way too much criticism in his career for being the fastest in history to 200 saves. I guess that’s simply part of playing in Boston, but he’s an extreme case for sure.

Game two tonight should be a crap shoot with Tim Wakefield going against AJ Burnett.

With the Bruins seemingly washed up (I know, I know – they’ve done it before) and Dirk’s final shot missing last night, it looks like my attention will be prematurely turned to the Red Sox-Yankees series this week. As of today, the Red Sox sit exactly one game behind the Yanks in the AL East, as they’ve cooled from their torrid pace as of late. And you know the Yankees will be hungry in this series, as the Red Sox have dominated them thus far this season. Needless to say, we’ve got a big series on our hands with the AL East up for grabs.

Game one (Tuesday) matches up Lester vs. Garcia, game two will see Wakefield vs. Burnett, and an epic Beckett vs. Sabathia rematch awaits in the series finale. As for my key offensive players in the series, I’ll go with A-Rod on the Yankees side, amidst swirling rumors of a Cameron Diaz break-up and a newfound focus on baseball. For the Sox? No surprise here, I’m going with Adrian Gonzalez.

It should be a fun series, and I’ve got the Sox taking two games on the road. Who do you have?

Boston Red Sox starter Josh Beckett showed the dominant form for which he is famous once again yesterday, silencing his critics here in Boston who view him as a washed up never-really-has-been. All I can do is say I told you so on this one.

Beckett looked healthy as can be, as he commanded 4 pitches on his way to 8 innings of 2-hit ball and 10 strikeouts. The 4-0 victory gave the Sox a win in their first series of the season versus the Yanks. The importance of a healthy Beckett to this team cannot be understated. Dustin Pedroia reached base in 10 of 11 plate appearances to win the first edition of Robinson Cano versus Dustin Pedroia this season.

In other Sox news, Clay Buchholz agreed to a 4 year, $30.5 million contract extension with the Sox. The deal also contains additional club options for a 5th and 6th year. While at first I questioned this deal, I think the Sox made a pretty awesome move. $7.5 million a year is a relatively small contract for a player with the potential upside of Buchholz. It’s certainly well less than the contracts paid to John Lackey and Josh Beckett — to be honest I’m surprised that Buchholz didn’t demand more money. Beckett also signed a 4-year contract extension earlier this year, meaning these two will be stalwarts of the staff for years to come.

Now it’s time to battle our way back up to .500 – a series against the Rays starting tonight should be a great opportunity to build some momentum.

Staring out my window at work, the Boston sky line is dark as rain and wind pelt an American flag atop a building across Fort Point Channel. It’s past 5:00 o’clock, meaning summer hours are over. Soon I’ll have to hustle home, wrestling morons on the subway, only to find a dinner of baked beans and hot dogs. Then I’ll have to drink and “be fun.” Life’s a drag. At least we’ve got a great weekend of sports ahead.

The RED SOX and yankees are squaring off tonight, the beginning of a three game series that will ultimately decide if the Rays or yankees win the AL East crown.  Daisuke Matsuzaka against Andy Pettite tonight. I’m going to try to go to Sunday’s final game of the season — rumor has it Mike Lowell is going to be honored by the SOX. Then we’ve got the Ryder Cup going on, and the singles matches on Sunday are must-see TV if it’s at all close. Finally, the Patriots are taking on the Dolphins on Monday Night Football — a game that will certainly tell us a lot about the Patriots.

My predictions? I have a sneaking suspicion that the yanks are going to wipe the SOX out, but I’m going to predict that the SOX take 2 out of 3 from the yanks on pride alone. If the Rays can handle the Royals at all, that should be enough to keep the crown out of New York. The Pats will lose to Miami in a good game, and the US will get crushed in the Ryder Cup by the Europeans.

I told you things were looking bleak. Or maybe winter is just fast approaching.

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