Eight Is Enough: Yankees Make A Statement

The Yankees said all along that the Red Sox had not gotten into their heads. To a man, the party line was this: Yes, Boston has beaten us in eight straight, and yes, we understand the importance of defeating our top rival, but, no, the struggles will not affect us in future meetings. It was a logical stance to take, a way to admit their previous shortcomings while at the same time dismissing them. But there's saying the right thing and doing the right thing...and the Yankees hadn't done much of anything right against Boston this season. The Yanks blew leads big and small, at home and on the road, the goat horns even finding their way to the great Mariano Rivera. The Yankees desperately needed to make a statement last night in the opener of the pivotal four-game set between the two teams. And they did. It wouldn't be quite fair to say that one win could wipe away the sins of eight previous losses, but Thursday's 13-6 wipeout of John Smoltz and the Red Sox came pretty ...