Genius Sportswriter: One baseball team can beat another baseball team.

Don't blame Girardi. Blame Papelbon and Crawford:

"The New York Yankees helped drive a stake through the heart of one city Wednesday night and, in the process, applied a rejuvenating jolt to the heart of another.

By losing to the Tampa Bay Rays, they helped ensure a bleak October for the Boston Red Sox, but in helping to destroy one monster, the Yankees may well have helped to create another. Ding, dong, the Red Sox are dead, which is what a lot of Yankees fans were hoping for, and what at least one columnist that I know very well insisted was a must just a week ago."

I have no shame in admitting that I was rooting against the Red Sox. That is the essence of the rivalry. Of course, the Yankees could lost in the ALCS to the Rays. Just like they might have lost to the Red Sox.

"In one sense, the Yankees accomplished one mission over the past three days in St. Petersburg: They rid themselves of the potential menace of the Boston Red Sox for this October."

That was not the Yankees' mission.

Girardi never hid the fact that his team was going to try, within reason. A team that was tanking wouldn't have taken a 7-0 lead into the 8th inning.

"But in doing so they helped build a new menace -- one that, unlike the fading Red Sox, seems to be getting stronger and more confident."

If the Red Sox had won a one-game playoff with Tampa, then they'd be on a 3-game winning streak entering the playoffs, getting "stronger" and "more confident."

Every team that advances to the second round has at least a one-game winning streak.

The Yankees lost 13 out of 19 to the Red Sox this season.

Though every playoff team is dangerous, the Rays are the worst AL playoff team.

I'd rather play the Rays.

"Now the Yankees' best chance may lie in hoping that someone else does unto Tampa Bay what the Yankees did unto Boston."

The Yankees' best chance is beating Verlander in Game One.

What the Yankees "did unto" Boston was losing three games in a row to a third party. So that strategy won't work too well in the first round of the playoffs. The Rangers are going to help the Yankees by ... losing three in a row to Tampa?

Regular Season in Review.

Curtis Granderson easily led the league in runs, led the league in RBIs, almost led the league in HRs, and stole 25 bases.

David Robertson had 100 Ks in 67 innings and a 1.08 ERA.

What happened to David Wright? .254 and 97 Ks in 102 games. The power numbers aren't too bad, all things considered (14 HRs, 60 runs, 61 RBIs), but he now he has become a player who Ks about once per game.

High point: 9/1/2011. Burnett beats Lester, Sox leave bases loaded in ninth.

Low point: 5/16/2011. Yankees fall to 20-19 amidst Posada drama.

"Plenty" now means "one."

It was lame. Not illegal, not immoral, just lame:

"The speedy leadoff hitter had a tenuous lead in the race for his first batting title, so with the blessing of his manager, he decided to take a seat in the 162nd game of the season.

This is Jose Reyes, of course. But this is also Willie Wilson. This is 2011, of course, and it led to a firestorm that ruined what should have been a celebration of a wonderful season.

But this is also 1982, a year before Reyes was born. This was in Kansas City, where a former three-sport star at Summit High saw a chance to become the first switch hitter in 26 years to win the American League batting title.

So, on the final day of the season, Wilson took himself out of the lineup and finished the season at .3316. He sweated out a big night from Robin Yount, the future Hall of Famer who went 4-for-5 to end the year at .3307."

It was lame then and it's lame now.


"Does that make it ideal? Put it this way: It certainly would have been cooler had Reyes gone 4-for-4 and hit for the cycle in what could be his final game in a Mets uniform.

But this is an accomplishment over an entire season, not one day."

In this case, 125 games (plus one inning) is an "entire season."

"It’s unfortunate 28,816 fans didn’t get to see more from Reyes today, but they did have 125 games before that of brilliance. And, if the Mets want to guarantee their fans another five years of him at shortstop, it’s their decision to open their checkbook, not his.

'One thing I do all the time, man, is play 100 percent all the time,' said Reyes, who seemed genuinely confused at all the questions about a controversy coming his way after the game"

When I watch Reyes play, he often seems disinterested and bored.

Part of that this year was due to health, but "100 percent all the time" is just lip service.


"Another speedy leadoff hitter was in the same boat 29 years later. Turns out, in the history of baseball, Jose Reyes has plenty of company."

"Plenty of company" = Willie Wilson.


I don't think the fans care that much about the batting title. That's why they booed.

Kevin Kernan probably knew the Yankees' AAA staff would outpitch David Price tonight.

ARod is hurt.

He's not playing tonight and I doubt he'll be productive in the playoffs, if he plays at all.

This doesn't mean the Yankees are doomed:

"If A-Rod's timing doesn't come around, opposing managers will walk Cano and the clock will strike midnight on the Yankees' October."

First of all, the Cinderella metaphor is misplaced. Yankees are 98-win, $200 million, home-field-advantage favorites.


Secondly, how much baseball do you have to watch to understand that it's unpredictable? I mean, if the Yankees need a productive ARod to win, then how did they win 98 games?

Maybe Sabathia and Nova throw back-to-back shutouts.

Maybe Verlander pulls a hamstring on the second pitch of the game.


Kevin Kernan knows that Cano will be intentionally walked and ARod will make out and, because of this, the Yankees will lose in the playoffs. How does he possibly know with precision how the details of the games will unfold?

Maybe Cano walks, ARod is hit by pitch, and Teixeira hits a homerun to give the Yankees a 14-run lead.

Maybe Cano walks, ARod hits into an error, and then Teixeira hits a bloop single that scores two runs and gives the Yankees a 17-run lead.

Maybe Cano walks, the pitcher balks three times in a row, and the Yankees sweep despite ARod's .100 batting average.

Maybe Russell Martin will hit into a triple play and a Red Sox rookie catcher will hit two homeruns.

I left after one inning for the fans who paid to see me play.

You won the batting title. Congratulations. Please stop talking:

"Reyes said he told Mets manager Terry Collins 'if I go 1 for 1, take me out of the game.'

...

“A lot of people told me I shouldn’t play today. I said, ‘Oh, no. I want to play. I want to be there for the fans,' Reyes said."

Ted Williams he ain't.

Lame:

"In his only at-bat of the game, and possibly his last as a Met, shortstop Jose Reyes reached base with a bunt single to lead off the first before being replaced by pinch-runner Justin Turner. Reyes' hit put his batting average at .337 for the season, meaning that Milwaukee's Ryan Braun will have to record at least three hits against the Pirates in his evening game to snatch the NL batting title."

Incongruous.

"Sandy Alderson rewarded Collins Tuesday for keeping the Mets competitive for most of this injury-riddled season by exercising his contract option for 2013.

...

They lost to the Reds Tuesday night, 5-4, in 13 innings and are fourth in the NL East with a 76-85 record."

Is Girardi Manager of the Year?

"One swing by Jacoby Ellsbury.

That's all it took Sunday night to remind the Red Sox are still the last team they want to see in the playoffs."

I think the Yankees and their fans want to see the Red Sox eliminated simply due to the rivalry, not due to strategic analyses of potential playoff matchups.


"You can talk about the challenge of facing Justin Verlander twice in a series with the Tigers, the prospect of pitching to Josh Hamilton and the powerful Rangers or the difficulty of trying to hit against the Rays' formidable staff, but no team has handled the Yankees this season the way the Red Sox have."

The Sox are injured and flailing.

I really think that Girardi deserves a lot of credit for handling the bullpen and navigating a six-man rotation, keeping them fresh for September and October.

As for a five-game or seven-game series, you just have no way of knowing what is going to happen. The Yankees could get swept by the Rays in the ALCS ... and, of course, the Yankees might not even make the ALCS.

The best strategy is to try to win every game ... balancing health concerns once the division is clinched ... and don't bother trying to manipulate playoff matchups.

The other best strategy is to beat Verlander.


"Nobody is suggesting that Girardi has plans to tank these last two games in an attempt to help the Rays get into the playoffs, but it wouldn't be the worst idea.

With the exception of Russell (I hate the Red Sox) Martin, you won't hear anybody drawing a paycheck from the Yankees publicly express their desire to keep Boston out of the postseason."

I actually think Girardi will tank the last two games.

Sometimes, the scrubs get a win, despite the manager's best efforts. Baseball is a funny game.


"Girardi is handling this as well as he possibly can. Sending out a lineup filled with September call-ups would be bad karma, an invitation for the baseball gods to set up a Yankees-Rays ALCS that could come back and bite the Bombers.

'We don't choose opponents,' Girardi said. 'We are given opponents, and we try to beat them.' "

Mike Lupica will probably blame the Yankees somehow if the Rays win the wild card, but most sane observers know the Yankees have earned the privilege to play it any way they choose. Screwing the Red Sox is just a bonus.

Mets block Yankees from bringing minor league team to Newark. Not sure what the Mets hoped to gain.

No. Please. Stop.

Is Mariano Rivera overrated?

To put it succinctly, "no."

Professor Smith elaborates. Please don't confuse negative opinions regarding saves or negative opinions regarding closers in general with negative opinions of Mariano Rivera:

"Does that mean that Mariano Rivera is not as good as we think? No way. He's an incredible pitcher," Smith says. "Is it because he pitches the ninth inning? I don't think so.

"It's because he gets people out."

The other 74 losses, too.

"This morning, the Mets sit four games under .500 with 16 games remaining. Four against the Nationals beginning today. Then three in Atlanta and three more at St. Louis. They conclude the season with three-game sets against the Reds and Phillies. Can they go 10-6 the rest of the way? That's certainly not impossible. But 9-7 seemed a whole lot easier."

Yup, that's how it usually works.

The losses are bad for you win-loss record and the wins are good for your win-loss record.

One month later.

Wayne Coffey on Aug. 12 (not to be confused with today's 6-5 victory over the Angels):

"But make no mistake: this 6-5 victory over the Angels was not merely another fun day in the summer sun for a 71-45 team. This was a game that had to leave a ripe residue of concern, if not outright worry, no matter if anybody will admit it.

Because for the second straight time, Mariano Rivera came in and gave up a home run. For the third straight time, he came in and looked eminently hittable, even fragile."

Predictably, since this supposedly worrisome stretch of three whole games, Mariano has put up the following stats:

11 games, 11 IP, 5 hits, 1 earned run, 2 walks, 14 strikeouts, 10 saves, 0 blown saves.

Ian Kennedy has 19 wins.

You know who else is having a good year?

Melky Cabrera.

Go figure.

Beware the Tigers.

"Suddenly, with all the things we focus on around here, like the Yankees getting their rotation set for the postseason, or even the Red Sox getting healthy before October, is it time to wonder if the Tigers may be the AL's best team?

'Not a chance,' said an American League scout who has been following Detroit for much of the streak. 'I don't see them as close to the Yankees or Red Sox. They've just gotten fat lately against the Indians and White Sox, who are playing embarrassing baseball.'

With Justin Verlander at the top of the rotation, however, the scout says the Tigers are not going to be a fun matchup for any team in the ALDS."

Right.

The Yankees, Red Sox, Tigers, Rangers, and Angels will be a difficult ALDS matchup.

Somebody has to win. It might be the Yankees.

What we learned in tonight's game.

1. A.J. Burnett is clutch. I never lost faith in you, A.J.

2. Jesus Montero is not clutch, as evidenced by his lifetime .000 batting average with the bases loaded.