Afternoon games are tough, particularly the weekday afternoon games are tough. Early for the players ane coaches, tough on the fans watching in between work tasks, they’re just tough.

The Yankees stepped up in a big way today with a 5-3 win over The Boston Red Sox. Texting co-workers, ‘this is brutal! Im gonna drop an F bomb on a caller’, and it was brutal at points. The Yankees took a lead, then fell behind 3-2, after Christian Vazquez of all people, homered off Jordan Montgomery. Shit!

But, they came back. Luke Voit and Giancarlo Stanton has big hits in a 3 run 5th inning to make the game 5-3. The Yanks would hang on for the win, Nice!!! Remarkably, thankfully, Aaron Boone stayed out of his own way, or own head, however you want to phrase it, by trusting Jonathan Loaisiga to pitch 2 scoreless inning of relief and to dance out of a bases loaded jam in the 7th. Color me impressed by both Loaisiga and Our Fearless Leader!!!

Loaisiga would go one to strike out Enrique Hernandez and Hunter Renfroe to seal the win, emding with a fist pump and self talk. Yankee fans share in your joy!

Now it’s on to game 2 of the Day/Night doubleheader. The question now becomes, what do these two teams have left for a night cap? The Red Sox start Nathan Eovaldi, a former Yankee and now hired gun to shut down his former team.

The Yankees counter with young righty Luis Gil, who has been impressive in two starts, winning 1. ‘Here kid, pitch against a tough lineup, at Yankee Stadium, with playoff positioning at stake….don’t fuck up!’ (Gulp!)

After games on July 4th, The Boston Red Sox were 53-32, 21 games over .500, and held a 10 game lead over the 4th place New York Yankees. Since then? The Red Sox are 16-20 and in second place.

The Yankees on the same date were in 4th place, barely treading water in the AL Wild Card race. The team sucked, the manager was worse, it was bad. Since July 4th? They are 25-11, and one game behind Boston for the second Wild Card.

Just sayin, go Yankees!