Who will it be? Yankees or Red Sox ?

Josh Hansen

One week from now and it will all be over.

Until then however, every baseball junky and sports fan will stay on edge, watching the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees jockey for position atop the AL East with the Wild Card Cleveland Indians threatening on the inside.

"There`s not much comfort right now," Boston`s Johnny Damon said. "We know we have to go play good baseball or we know our season is going to be over."

The public apparently thinks it already is over - or at least Boston`s chances of wearing the division crown when Sunday night rolls around.

“We re-opened the [AL East] futures bet because there was so much demand but so far, all the money has the Yankees,” says BetCRIS linesmaker Shane Catford. “I think they’re finishing off better than Boston plus the public loves them.”

Marred by pitching trouble, steroids and the uncertainty of management next year, the Bronx Bombers have somehow survived a slow start and are once again in the thick of things. The biggest reason is likely their 53-28 record at the house Ruth built, which should serve to help the Yanks when they host their red rivals in the final games of the season.

But New York must first travel to Baltimore, where they`ve managed just one win in five trips.

Boston`s road to the playoffs isn`t any easier. At first glance, a four-game set against the Toronto Blue Jays looks promising but could be deceiving. The Jays have handcuffed the boys from Beantown nine of the 14 times they’ve met this season.

Only five of those games were played at Fenway Park, the site of this week’s series, but don’t think the Jays aren’t relishing the notion of playing spoiler.

"We`d love to go in there and knock them out somehow,” Blue Jays manager John Gibbons said. “We couldn`t ask for more for what we`re trying to do here. We`re trying to build something, getting used to playing these type of games for our own experience."

Of course, there is the possibility both teams could meet up in October. If either the Yankees or Red Sox win the East, the remaining team still has a chance of grabbing the AL Wild Card from the Indians, who sat 1/2 games up on the Yankees heading into Monday’s action.

"We need to go out and win all the games, as Boston does," Yankees manager Joe Torre said. "A week from today, the smoke clears. Hopefully, we`re standing tall."

sports news