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TagsBy MIKE VORKUNOV
NEWJERSEYNEWSROOM.COM
NEW YORK – It may be a good thing that the Toronto Blue Jays are asking for such a high price from the New York Yankees for Roy Halladay. Because it means they are asking for the moon from the Boston Red Sox as well. And right now it looks like neither team is willing to budge.
This should suit the Yankees just fine.
Right now they are in the driver’s seat for the American League East title and nothing would upset that order more than their biggest rival picking up one of the three best pitchers in baseball. Since June 27, when Boston was four games ahead in the standings, New York has gone 19-6. The Red Sox have been merely average at 12-12. The result is a two and a half game lead for the Yankees.During its midsummer hot streak, New York has resembled the team that was so dominant a decade ago. A powerful offense that has the best OPS (On base percentage plus slugging percentage over any other team by a ridiculous 30 points, dependable pitching, and a dominant bullpen (thanks to emergence of Phil Hughes as the best setup man anywhere in the contiguous 48 states).
More importantly the Bronx Bombers have their swagger back after their 9-1 home stand coming out of the All-Star break. That’s what made the dynastic Yankees special. And that’s what has been the difference between Boston and New York since October 2004.
As the Yankees fell behind, 5-4, to Oakland on Sunday, it wasn’t a question of if but when they would make their move. It didn’t take long. In the bottom of the inning Derek Jeter drove in two runs and N.Y. regained the lead … one they wouldn’t give away again. It was the third time in its four game series with Oakland that New York came from behind to pull out a victory.
The Red Sox? Well, they may still have their swagger but that’s about it. Boston has encountered a string of follies and foibles similar to the ones that doomed the Yankees last year: Injuries, lack of timely hitting and old age.
During the last month Boston has seen Tim Wakefield land on the DL and Mike Lowell battle a degenerative hip condition. Throw in a .228 team average in the month of July and it’s not hard to see why the Red Sox are sputtering.
It’s a Freaky-Friday-like role reversal for the two teams since last season.
That’s why Boston acquired Adam LaRoche and Chris Duncan this week – to stop the bleeding.
That doesn’t mean the Yankees are in the clear yet. They may be streaking while Boston is stumbling, but the last time New York beat the Red Sox is still 10 months ago. And good luck trying to find one Yankee fan who actually wants to see the leaves fall outside Fenway Park in October.
But for now, the Yankees will take their lead in the standings and move on to Tampa Bay. And the only way they’ll see Boston is in their rear-view mirror.