Yankees 8. Birds 5

. . . coupled with losses by Boston and Detroit, a good night.

3 1/2 up, 3 1/2 down, if you know what I mean.

Hughes is alright; he's more next year's story than this year's.

Kardiac Kyle we take as read; he's not long for this team. It was a crime that Mo had to come in; as Robbie-Boy suggested, maybe we need some "Mo Rules" to accompany the "Joba Rules," since, even if the Yankees make the playoffs, there will be no serious quest for the ring without a rested and sharp Rivera.

Since 1996, 'tis ever been thus: Rivera and Jeter, the two indispensible Yankees, the two first-ballot Hall-of-Famers to (so far) play their entire careers with the Yankees, the first such since (drum roll) the sainted Mantle.

And? The unsung heroes of the second-half surge, to now, have been the tortured trio, Abreu-Cano-Matsui, who, in the second half of the season, proved their worthiness to belong in the same line-up at A-Rod, Jeter, and Georgie, the three batters who kept the bottom from falling out in May and June. ACM has slumped of late; they'll be needed not only in the playoffs, but to drag the rest of the squad across the finish line, ahead of Detroit and all that brilliant young pitching.

In a strange way, the return to health of Damon and Giambi has actually complicate matters; the best defensive outfield for the Yankees is Damon left, Melky center, Abreu right, with Matsui as DH. This forces Giambi to first--ugh--where it's a race to see if he drives in more runs than he allows.

Ugh, and ugh. Two weeks to go.