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Wins over Sox put Yanks back in postseason hunt

Exactly which playoff race are the New York Yankees in? Maybe the question should be how many they are in.

Earlier this week, after the Yankees staggered through a dreadful trip, losing five of seven games in Anaheim and Detroit, they plunged eight games behind the Red Sox and their faithful fans were prepared to concede the division race.

Even though three games with the Red Sox were next on the schedule, first place seemed hopelessly distant. The wild-card-leading Seattle Mariners were in closer proximity and they looked more susceptible to a Yankees surge.

Three games later, though, the American League East race is far from over. The Yankees are still in it, and after trailing in the wild-card race by eight-and-a-half games at the All-Star Game break they have surged to the front, taking a one-game lead over the Mariners on Thursday night.

When Terry Francona, the Red Sox' manager, was asked after his team's 5-0 loss to the Yankees if there was still a division race, he said: "I look at it as we lost today. We're not pleased with it. How many games are left? I don't even think that deserves an answer."

Then he said: "I guess you hoped I would say something stupid. I don't want to say anything stupid."

Most people are quick to point out that it does not matter how the Yankees get to the playoffs, just as long as they get there. Anything can happen once a team reaches October, as several wild-card teams have demonstrated during the past decade.

The 1997 and 2003 Florida Marlins, the 2002 Anaheim Angels and -- who can ever forget? -- the 2004 Red Sox won the World Series as wild cards.

Not that there is anything wrong with a second-place team emerging on top, especially when that team may have a better record than some other division champion, and not that there is anything wrong with keeping teams in contention deeper into the season than they would otherwise be. And not that there is anything wrong with putting more people in the parks in September and creating more revenue for more teams.

All of those reasons are why commissioner Bud Selig loves the wild card, which was created by necessity when the leagues went to three divisions each. But even Selig the baseball fan would have to acknowledge that the wild card detracts from the division races.

In 1993, Atlanta won 104 games and San Francisco 103 in one of the most stirring races ever. Proponents of the wild card often cite that race as validating the creation of the extra playoff spot. The Braves went to the playoffs and the Giants went home and it was not fair to the Giants. They deserved better, especially because the playoff team from the other National League division, the Phillies, won 97.

But even with the wild cards, a good team can miss out on the playoffs.

That NL West race between the Braves and the Giants would have lost its sizzle had both been assured of playoff spots. That is the case now with the Yankees and the Red Sox. Can the remaining race between the teams be as scintillating as their 1978 race, when the wild card did not exist? Is there a race left between the teams?

The Red Sox were not about to dismiss the Yankees. No need to fire them up any more than they are. Furthermore, the teams play three more games in Boston in two weeks. Three losses with an eight-game lead is one thing, three losses with a five-game lead quite another.

But no members of either team wanted to talk about either race.

"We're focusing on what we have to do," said Jason Varitek, the Red Sox's captain.

Derek Jeter, his Yankees counterpart, said his team's goal was not to win the division title or the wild card.

"Our goal is to win every game," he said.
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