Does anyone else keep looking at the standings over and over again?

Every time the Yanks took the lead yesterday, I could just feel Yankee fans thinking they'd won, pre-'04-style. You know they were saying, "Our lineup's just too good..." In reality, though, it's still about pitching, and they continue their six-year streak of not understanding that.

I'm hoping games like this will continue to raise the confidence level of Red Sox fans. For some reason, many of us, after 2004, went right back to the old ways of thinking the team will always lose in the end. Note: I have no idea what the deal with these people is. I always thought the Red Sox would win every game, my whole life, regardless of curses or BS like that. Anyway, I hope the pessimism goes the way of Yankee teams with pitching, or at least that those people can allow themselves to enjoy the good times.

Terrible job by Fox regarding the Youk hit-streak. In the eighth, as he was coming up, instead of talking about it being his last chance to extend the streak, they did a "history of Roger Clemens." (Buck said something about him making a splash in "that '84 season," whatever that means.) Then when Youk walked, instead of noting how he cared more about getting on base for the team than his own streak (officially making him Jere's Player of the Game), Fox went on to something else. I don't remember what it was, but it caused us to miss the huge ovation for Youk, as his streak came to an end. (Had Jeter taken three walks with a hit-streak on the line, the entire Fox staff would've taken turns suckling at his teat, then put together a musical montage of the event.)

Oh, speaking of ol' Derek--wasn't that cool how he cost his team the game? Jeter blows game. Jeter blows game. Jeter blows game. I'm just trying to say it enough for all the headlines which will convenient leave this fact out.

Nice to hear the "Where is Roger?" chant. (Which was "cut up" by Fox' ridiculous audio, which is slightly off from one camera angle to the other. So you'd hear "Where is Roger, oger?" or "Where is, ere is Roger?") Answer: He's off faking a groin injury.

Was funny to hear McCarver call the Yanks "keystone cops" on that bloop single. The one thing he forgot to criticize was how Melky should have had caught that ball. It was in the air for five minutes. You could see him break to his right instead of in on the ball.

Good matchup tonight, with Beckett and Cod-boy.

How's this for a nickname-- We all remember "the Goose," old Yankee reliever Rich Gossage. At the batting cages in Danbury, when I was little, the cages were labeled: "40 MPH," "60 MPH," and "The Goose." Man, I hated that guy. Yesterday, as Brian Bruney came in, I said, "Oh, look who's goose-stepping into the game..." You know, because he's a neo-Nazi and all. Then it hit me: The Goose! Just kind of ironic, since it fits him, despite that he's nowhere near the pitcher Gossage was. I guess you could say he's the "Spruce Goose" or something. But I like just seeing him and saying "The Goose!" Kind of like how we'd ironically call Dale Mahorcic the "Iron Horse."