Four Straight Losses

Hate is a strong word. So I won’t use it here. But I will say this: I strongly dislike the Boston Red Sox – and most especially their fans.

First off, I apologize for not penning a blog post in a day. I’ve been pretty consistent with putting together a few thoughts daily. Honestly, Monday night’s marathon slowed me up the last couple of days. I’m still recovering.

Secondly, I’m so disgusted with the Yankees that I’d rather not get into it. I’m tired of looking for the silver lining. I’m tired of grasping at straws. This is one of the best teams money can buy, but they aren’t playing like it.

Make all the excuses you want. CC Sabathia shouldn’t be 1-3. Mark Teixeira shouldn’t struggle for a whole month and have it be OK in Yankee Land. He’s been pretty good the last few days, but we didn’t sign him to be good, we signed him to be great.

Pressure. Yes, of course. It’s New York. It’s time to perform. It’s time for the Yankees to get their acts together.

A few days ago I suggested they had finally turned a corner on the early season. On second thought, I believe the Yankees are gelling, but only against competition they can beat. They are clearly not as good as Boston – at least yet – and after tonight’s defeat to Tampa Bay, I wonder to myself if they are third in the race in the East. And I don't mean from a standings perspective. I mean from a team perspective. Do you think the Yankees have the edge against Boston in many of the categories? Would you take Boston's staff over the Yankees? There bullpen? There depth? There lineup?

I think I would. Can you explain to me how in the world David Ortiz doesn't have a home run and the Yankees are 0-5 against Boston?

How many times is Jason Bay gonna kill the Yanks? How many times is Nick Green, a former castoff of the Bombers turned Red Sox starting shortstop, going to outshine Derek Jeter in the short series at home. We're talking about Nick Green.

I said at the outset of the season that the Yankees will likely be the Wild Card winner. I still believe Boston is the team to beat. But the Yankees have some concerns, albeit so early in the season. They lack depth in some big areas. And they are an older club with an aging core.

Lastly, I want to throw in my two cents here once again about Joba Chamberlain. He’s proved nothing as a starter. I don’t care about his 12 Ks last night. He’s still made for the bullpen. Though Chamberlain struck out 12 batters and left to a standing ovation, the Yankees couldn't overcome his shaky first inning and suffered a 7-3 defeat to the Red Sox on a damp Tuesday evening at Yankee Stadium. No silver lining from me here. A loss is a loss. That made five straight to Boston.

Johnny Damon belted a three-run homer off Red Sox starter Josh Beckett, but that was the sum total of New York's offensive production against the right-hander. Boston took both games of the abbreviated two-game series.

We know what happened Monday. Which is why I’ll flash back and comment on a few Boston fans. Filming the game from the main level in the late innings, these two burly men jumped in front me and then had the audacity to tell me that I wasn’t where I said I was. I didn’t bother to make a stink. But I’ll say this: Red Sox fans have no class. I understand these are only two fans and that two fans shouldn't be enough for me to come to this decision, but honestly, I don't think I've ever met a nice Sox fan.

And that organization, a Yankee doormat for over 85 years, now has the upper hand. That has to change. We finally have a rivalry, because Boston is legit. I'll give them that.

Jon Lester pitched the Red Sox to a 6-4 victory before 46,426 fans Monday. The contest started two hours and 17 minutes later than scheduled, thanks to steady rain. It ended at 1:10 a.m. ET on Tuesday. I'm still exhausted from the night. It didn't help me that the Yankees didn't win. Boston closer Jonathan Papelbon loaded the bases in the ninth, but struck out Teixeira and later Robinson Cano to end the game. Teixeira had already belted two dingers, so he gets a bit of a pass, but the Yankees, on the whole, do not.

It was another weak performance.

The same could be said tonight.

The Bombers were on top of the world after Teixeira hit a bases-clearing double in the eighth to help force extras against Tampa. But in the 10th, Carlos Pena hit a game-winning homer to right field off Phil Coke, as the Yanks dropped their fourth straight game.

Final score: Rays 4, Yankees 3.

New York has played well at times, but remains very inconsistent.