TORONTO -- The Yankees gave us all the one-day-at-a-time stuff we could handle the last two days in Rogers Centre but that's how they're playing it. They won two against the Blue Jays and refused to look too far ahead to the four-gamer that opens Thursday against the Red Sox.
Us media types, of course, forced them to (what are we there for?) and you can read comments from Johnny Damon and Derek Jeter in Thursday's Buffalo News. The Yankees are 0-8 against the Sox this year -- their worst start to the season series since 1912 but they're not fazed by that. They shouldn't be. They're 2 1/2 games up in the AL East and, for once, the Sox are the team will all the steroid turmoil swirling. The Yankees are just playing winning baseball.
"You guys make a lot more about the 0-8 than we do," insisted first baseman Mark Teixeira. "We play 162 of these. They're all important. You just go out every day and try to play better."
Asked after the win how the Yankee Stadium crowd will react to seeing the Red Sox, manager Joe Girardi said, "I imagine they'll be pretty fired up. I don't imagine there's gonna be any seats open. You wouldn't want it any other way."
For an added pregame boost, the Yankees will honoring Muhammed Ali, who won a famous 1976 decision over Ken Norton at the old stadium.
"I'm excited about that too," Girardi said. "Just as long as he doesn't chop a right hook."
---Mike Harrington
(www.twitter.com/bnharrington)
tagged
Major leagues | Red Sox | Yankees
