A few thoughts on the Yankees/Red Sox series

Wow.

It was only six weeks ago, with the Yankees down four games behind Boston, that the season's epitaph was being written.

I was not writing any such epitaphs, but there was a sense that as likeable and scrappy as the replacement Yankees were playing, they didn't have a lineup that was going to go too far in the post-season should they reach it.

No longer. Murderers' row. As for the replacements, well, they're doing pretty well too.

Giambi saw all fastballs, and his towering try for a grand slam expired on the warning track for a sacrifice fly. With the lead cut to 5-4, Papelbon walked Alex Rodriguez before fanning Robinson Cano and Jorge Posada.

He nearly finished off the Yankees in the ninth but blew the save when Jeter punched a two-seam fastball to right to score Melky Cabrera, who had led off with a double and reached third on a wild pitch.

“It wasn’t looking too good for us,” Jeter said, “but that’s why you play 27 outs – and sometimes a little extra.”

Jeter was behind in the count, 0-1, and said he did not want to fall behind further. His hit was the first thing Manager Joe Torre cited after the game.

“I knew I felt good coming into this series, but you could never imagine this was going to be the case, this was going to be the result,” Torre said. “Papelbon, basically, was unhittable. He made a good pitch to Jeter, and he was able to fight it off.

“This could have been the most incredible one of all,” Torre continued. “This ballclub just won’t be denied.”

An epic series. Too bad two of the best games ended well past the Vega's bedtime.