Yankees praising

First posted on Bleacher Report a couple hours earlier...

House, I have once again praised the Yankees per your request; twice in two days... what's my prize ?



Perhaps the best thing for the Boston Red Sox on Sunday night is rain.

The start of the Red Sox-Yankees game has been delayed by rain, with New York looking to sweep the Bosox in three straight at Fenway Park.

New York has won eight straight and was supposed to have Sidney Ponson start Sunday night against Jon Lester.

Another Boston loss would mean the Yanks and Red Sox would be tied for second in the division, with New York percentage points ahead by virtue of having played fewer games. (Looking at it the "glass half-full" way though, the first-place Tampa Bay Rays have already lost earlier in the day, meaning a Boston win moves the Sox within a game of top spot.)

Given the way things have gone since the All-Star break, the Red Sox should just pray for the game to be postponed.

Boston is only 3-5 since the mid-summer classic, while New York is 8-0.

While it hasn't exactly been the Boston Massacre in the first two games of the series, the Red Sox have shown again they can't seem to beat the Yankees, not coming up with clutch hits or getting big outs in losing 1-0 and 10-3 thus far.

Though Sunday's scheduled starter Ponson is only 3-11 with a 6.61 ERA lifetime against Boston, the right-hander has done all right this season after being picked up by the pinstripers--and the fact remains New York has been hot since the All-Star break while Boston has not.

The Yanks have gone 4-0 in Ponson's four starts.

Meanwhile, on ESPN Radio, the eighth inning of the seventh game of the 2003 ALCS--yes, the one in which Grady Little left a tiring Pedro Martinez in to allow New York to score three runs--is being replayed as the network is waiting out the rain delay.

Why the network has chosen to re-air this particular clip is beyond me--given the fact the 2004 Red Sox triumph over the Yanks was more significant and magical.

Nonetheless, another reminder the Red Sox had been owned by the Bombers.

Well, guess what? Boston has won two of the last four World Series, while New York hasn't had reason to celebrate since 2000.

And, the Associated Press has reported that Manny Ramirez was quoted as saying he didn't mind if he was traded.

The 2004 World Series MVP supposedly said on Sunday, "I'm tired of them (the Red Sox). They're tired of me."

Four more days to go before the July 31st trading deadline ... will the Red Sox deal Man-ram? You'd at least expect Boston to go out and make some moves to try and defend its AL East title.

Anyway, Boston should just pray for more rain. That way the Yanks can leave town--New York heads home to host Baltimore on Monday--without both teams being tied.

And oh... that would be the last-place Orioles the Yankees would be facing, while the Red Sox will entertain baseball's best team, the L.A. Angels, starting Monday.

In case you are wondering, yes, it was the Angels who swept the Bosox last weekend after the All-Star break.

Not fun times coming up for the Boston Red Sox.

Time to pray for more rain...