The last time the Boston Red Sox visited Yankee Stadium, Derek Jeter was hurtling headfirst into the stands, Nomar Garciaparra was sulking in the dugout and New York was pulling away in the AL East.
A lot has changed since then. Alex Rodriguez and Jason Varitek brawled at Fenway Park, Garciaparra got traded, and Kevin Brown punched himself out of the pennant race.
PHOTO: AFP
Plus, with Boston back in the Bronx this weekend, the Red Sox are also right back in the division race.
"I think both teams have felt in some way that they were going to have to go through each other to get to the next level," Rodriguez said. "Whether you're up by 20 games or by four games, the bottom line is that you're going to have to look each other in the eye and beat each other when it counts."
With six meetings left, the rivalry resumes on Friday when unbeaten Orlando Hernandez faces Boston's Bronson Arroyo.
"It should be fun. We're in a good spot," Red Sox leadoff hitter Johnny Damon said. "We know they have to play well against us and we have to play well against them. We're happy with the situation we're in right now."
The Yankees, trying to beat out Boston in the American League East for the seventh straight year, have a 3 1/2-game edge. The Red Sox beat Tampa Bay 11-4 Thursday night, with Curt Schilling getting his 20th win.
Jon Lieber starts for the Yankees against Derek Lowe on Saturday, and the Sunday matinee is the best of all: Pedro Martinez vs. Mike Mussina.
"This is a time you get to enjoy playing the game. It's like a postseason atmosphere even before you get to the postseason," Jeter said.
Then again, both teams probably will make the playoffs -- just like last year, when New York beat Boston in Game 7 of a thrilling AL championship series on Aaron Boone's 11th-inning home run. The Red Sox held a 5 1/2-game lead over Anaheim in the wild-card race going into Thursday's game.
Fact is, there are more meaningful games in the majors this weekend.
Barry Bonds will try for his 700th career home run when San Francisco hosts San Diego in a meeting of NL wild-card contenders. The Chicago Cubs, Houston and Florida are also in that chase, one of the most closely contested races in years.
At Anaheim, the Texas Rangers and Angels play in a matchup of teams trying to catch Oakland in the AL West.
Still, for a team trying to win its first World Series championship since 1918, it would mean the world to Boston fans to beat out New York. Especially if it meant a big comeback, the same way Bucky Dent and the Yankees overtook the Red Sox in 1978.
"There's so many teams to worry about, the Angels, the A's, Rangers. We haven't won anything yet," Boston's Kevin Millar said. "Our job and our goal is to win the American League East when you go to spring training. Obviously, it was hard being 10 games back, but we've made it a race. It's great for baseball. Now it's a race. It's exciting."
The Red Sox hold an 8-5 edge against New York this season, with three more games at Fenway the following weekend.
"I think most people would have taken a look at the schedule and the timing of the games and thought these games are going to be important," Jeter said.
Boston trailed by 10 1/2 games on Aug. 15 before closing the gap to two on Sept. 8.
Kenny Rogers lost at the Coliseum for the first time in more than 10 years, with Bobby Crosby's three-run double in the fifth inning leading the Athletics to a 5-4 win over the Texas Rangers on Thursday.
Rogers (16-8) was unbeaten in 35 appearances in Oakland since Aug. 7, 1994, going 18-0.
Alfonso Soriano was hurt in an awkward headfirst slide while stealing third base in the eighth inning. His left foot got caught under his right leg, and he left the game. He'll undergo tests Friday.
Rich Harden (10-6) allowed six hits while improving to 7-1 since the All-Star break.
Three Oakland relievers preserved the lead after Harden left in the seventh. Octavio Dotel stranded pinch-runner Manny Alexander on third base in the eighth, then pitched the ninth for his 21st save in 26 chances.
The four-game series began Monday night, when Texas reliever Frank Francisco threw a chair into the stands, breaking a woman's nose.
Doug Brocail, the other Texas reliever prominently involved in the fracas, got loud boos when he took the mound in the fifth.
Red Sox 11, Devil Rays 4
In Boston, Curt Schilling became the first 20-game winner in the major leagues this season, reaching the mark for the third time in four years and leading Boston over Tampa Bay.
Kevin Millar and Johnny Damon each homered and drove in four runs, and Boston moved within 3 1/2 games of the first-place New York Yankees in the AL East. The teams start a three-game series in New York on Friday night, then play a three-game set in Boston a week later.
Schilling (20-6) allowed four runs and eight hits in 7 2-3 innings and won his career-high seventh straight start since his last loss on Aug. 9, against Tampa Bay.
The Red Sox staked Schilling to a 3-0 lead in the first against Mark Hendrickson (8-15). Bobby Webb allowed Millar's 17th homer of the year, a two-run shot in the sixth, and Damon's 16th, a three-run shot in the seventh that made it 11-1.
Twins 10, White Sox 1
In Minneapolis, Kyle Lohse pitched seven sharp innings, Michael Cuddyer went 3-for-4 with a homer and Minnesota beat the Chicago White Sox for its ninth straight victory.
The streaking Twins are quickly closing in on their third consecutive AL Central title. They reduced their magic number for clinching the division to four.
Lohse (8-11), trying to overcome an inconsistent season with a strong finish that could put him in the postseason rotation, gave up one run, four hits and one walk. He is 3-1 in his last six starts, and he lasted seven innings for only the third time since the All-Star break.
Minnesota broke the game open with a four-run third. Jose Offerman drove in one run with a groundout, Cristian Guzman hit an RBI double, and Cuddyer followed with his 10th home run, a two-run shot to left.
Not in the city where Aaron played, he won't. But get ready, kayakers: Barry Bonds will get the chance to hit another historic homer at home.
The San Francisco slugger remained one shot short of joining Babe Ruth and Hank Aaron in the 700-homer club Thursday, but did go 3-for-3 with a walk in the Giants' 4-0 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers.
"I still have a lot of baseball left," Bonds said. "It will come eventually."
Rookie Brad Hennessey (2-2) allowed two hits over seven spectacular innings as the Giants increased their lead in the National League wild-card race to one game over the Chicago Cubs.
Bonds took 21 swings in the three-game sweep during the Giants' only trip to Miller Park this season, going 3-for-9 with four walks -- one intentional. He hit an RBI double and two singles in the final game.
"They pitched to him," Giants manager Felipe Alou said. "He hit the ball hard, but they kept the ball down. He can do it at home now."
Now, Bonds and the Giants return home for a nine-games series at SBC Park starting Friday night against the San Diego Padres.
Cubs 5, Reds 4
In Cincinnati, Aramis Ramirez homered three times for all of Chicago's runs, and the Cubs kept pace in the playoff race by rallying to beat Cincinnati.
The Cubs opened their final road trip of the regular season -- four cities, 12 games -- looking to keep up with San Francisco, which is a half-game ahead for the NL wild card.
Ramirez hit a two-run homer and a solo shot off starter Josh Hancock, then put the Cubs ahead in the seventh with a two-out, two-run drive off Ryan Wagner (3-2) for his second three-homer game of the season.
Ramirez also hit three against Philadelphia on July 30.
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