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?