Still, a win is a win – and this one gave the Yankees 94 for the season (which is their lowest season victory total since 2000). Considering how they started, getting to 94 wins is, well, in the words of Larry David, prittay, prittay, good.

Nice that Torre let Posada run the team today. I actually think Posada will make an excellent manager someday in the future. He’s a catcher – so, he knows pitching. He’s worked hard to make himself a great switch-hitter. And, he comes from a baseball family. It’s in his blood. Plus, he can speak Spanish too. There’s a lot of things going for him there, if he wants to lead a team after his playing days are over.

Call me crazy, but, I would love to see Shelley Duncan get the start at first base against C.C. Sabathia in the ALDS.

That’s about all one can say after watching this game. It really was more like a Spring Training game. As such, you can’t take too much out of it and give it serious consideration.

Moose was strange in this one. Some innings, he looked great – yet, in others, well, not good at all. At this point, you do have to wonder which Mussina will show up in October? Will it be the one that got pounded by the Tigers and Angels and lost his spot in the rotation? Or, will it be the one that was great when he returned to the rotation after losing his spot? We saw a little of both those Mussinas in this game.

Rivera? Well, let’s just see how he does in his next game. I would guess that he’ll get one more inning in, somewhere, before the ALDS. It will be interesting to see if he has issues again there.

What about Edwar Ramirez? Well, at this point, if it’s not clear that he has no business whatsoever being on the post-season roster, there’s no other way to convince anyone of it. He’s just been awful lately.

Hey, it was not nice to lose this game. But, look at it this way: It’s not as painful as the Mets loss in Shea on this date, is it? Plus, in a way, it’s probably a good thing. (Wow, look at me saying that a Yankee loss is a good thing!) If they Yankee had finished first in the A.L. East, there was a chance that they would have faced the Angels in the ALDS. Now, that’s moot – thanks to losing this game.

Yes, there can be serendipity in suckiness sometimes, even in Yankeeland.

It’s about 50 miles north of my house. So, I had a bit of a drive home.

I decided to listen to this game on X-M Radio – which picks up the feed of the home-team broadcasters. I think the Rays’ radio guys were Andy Freed and Dave Wills. In any event, I thought they did a pretty good job doing the game. It was a nice change to hear the Yankees covered from someone other than Sterling and Waldman. (And, it reminded me of days gone by when the Rays’ radio guys mentioned that some of the remaining Tampa Bay games would not be on TV. Remember what it was like before every game was on TV? We really are lucky in New York these days.)

I got home just in time to see Jose (the new Luis Sojo) Molina get the hit to break the tie in the game. Between listening to the Rays’ radio broadcast, and seeing the game on YES from the point that I got home, I was impressed with Phil Hughes tonight. I think Al Leiter made a good point on YES when he said that Hughes using all his pitches made his fastball feel electric – even though it was on the gun around 88-91.

If you ignored the radar readings, and went by batter’s reactions, it looked like Hughes was over-powering this evening. Joe Torre, in his post-game, even said that this was Hughes best start – even better than his “no-hitter” in Texas.

Getting Hughes peaking at this point is great news for the Yankees. They’re going to need some Roger Clemens insurance – between Rocket’s elbow and hammy – and there’s a chance that Hughes might be called upon to be a big part of the Yankees chances this October. If Phil throws like he did tonight, that will be awesome for the Yankees.

Nice moments for Gonzalez and Sardinha today as well – both getting their first big league hits. It will be night that they both will always remember.

Lastly, how ’bout those Amazin’s? It’s almost time to tell the 1951 Brooklyn Dodgers to move over, huh? I still feel sorry for Willow. This is something that he does not deserve to have on his resume.

After losing 29 of their first 50 games, the Yankees have now secured their 13th consecutive post-season berth. (This streak is now one shy of the record set by the Atlanta Braves from 1991-2005.) New York has gone 70-38 in their last 108 games, a winning percentage of .648 to comeback from their terrible start this season. That’s impressive.

The first thought that I had, about the Yankees locking up #13 now, was: “Man, all Yankees fans who are 21-years old or younger, have been spoiled. They really know nothing but making the post-season.” But, then I thought: “Too bad that those who are 14-years old or younger probably don’t know what it’s like to see them win a ring.”

Hopefully, the Yankees will win one for the youngsters this season.

After the game, Derek Jeter said: “This definitely has been the hardest one. We really battled.” Derek may or may not be right about that one – after all, 2005 was a battle too – but, this one is surely right up there with the more recent tough seasons for New York.

In any event, now, a new season begins for the Yankees – October, 2007. Let’s hope that they don’t get off to a slow start in this second season.

Good to hear that George Steinbrenner was at the game – even if he left after 7 innings. It’s nice that the boys put on a good show for the Big Stein on a special day.

In addition to doing it for the youngsters, hopefully the Yankees will now win one for Stein, an old-timer, as well. This could be his last shot at seeing one while he knows what’s going on…

The arson twins did it again. Last Friday, I wrote:

Well, at the least, it was a preview of what you will see if the Yankees have to use Edwar “Boom Boom” Ramirez and/or Brian “The American Armando Benitez” Bruney in a post-season game this year.

So, that’s twice in the last five games for Ramirez and Bruney. I think we’ve seen enough – and they should be sent packing for October.

With this loss, the Yankees can forget about catching Boston – and even the Indians and Angels too. There’s just not enough time to match their win totals. It’s time to just limp into the post-season…too bad.

Lastly, where were all those D-Ray relievers who were so good at blowing games to the Red Sox recently? I would have liked to have seen some of that happen for New York last night too. Why did the Rays decide to start pitching better out of the pen now?

Update, 9/24/07, 1:15 pm ET: Andy Pettitte has now faced 123 batters in the 1st inning of games this season and retired 97 of them. That’s 79%. Maybe he should be the next Yankees closer? (Just kidding.)

Update, 9/24/07, 1:21 pm ET: The Blue Jays’ Jesse Litsch has one of the more interesting MLB.com Gameday photos out there:

Anyone else see a little Fire Marshall Bill there?

Update, 9/24/07, 2:57 pm ET: F.M. Bill gave the Jays a neat and tidy first 6 innings in this contest. Only 5 Yankees reached base in the first six – and one of them was on an error.

Update, 9/24/07, 3:39 pm ET: Now I get it. Litsch may look like F.M. Bill, but, today, he pitched like Rick Waits.

Update, 9/24/07, 3:53 pm ET: I think the Yankees packed their bats a little early today. Oh, well, Wilcard it is…no shame in that, after all, according to Terry Francona.

When it was around ten after two, and it was only the second inning, and the score was tied, 3-3, I thought that today was going to end up like Friday and Saturday – with one of those long days in the Bronx.

In the end, compared to the last two games, this one turned out to be quick.

Another big win for the Yanks. I still want them to (at least) tie Boston for first place – as that would give them home-field in the ALCS if they face the Red Sox. Sure, yeah, I know they had home-field in 2004 and it did not help. But, I think it did help in 2003, no? In a close series, or a close game, it helps to get that last At Bat. Plus, Wang and Clemens pitch so much better at Yankee Stadium.

According to reports, by reaching 90 wins today, and for the seventh straight season, the Yankees now have the third-longest streak in major league history (of 90+ wins seasons) – behind the 1947-58 Yankees and the 1904-12 Chicago Cubs. That, is something. Very impressive.

By the way, I was totally wrong about Jose Molina. That was an excellent pick up by New York, in retrospect.

They got knocked to the mat last night in a tough loss. They got knocked to the mat in the 4th inning today…and then again in the 7th and the 8th innings too.

But, the Yankees kept getting back up and continued to fight.

Being able to call on this experience is going to help the Yankees in October.

And, with their bullpen, outside of Mo, Joba and Viz, they’re going to need it.

Long day. Huge win. Let it now sit on the scoreboard tonight down in Tampa as the Sox play this evening.

I called it – extra innings.

Ugh. What a long night in the South Bronx. (Yes, unlike thirty-something thousand people, I stayed for the whole game.)

You cannot lose this game after that ninth inning miracle comeback – not to mention the date, the standings, etc.

You just cannot lose this game. But, they did.

Well, at the least, it was a preview of what you will see if the Yankees have to use Edwar “Boom Boom” Ramirez and/or Brian “The American Armando Benitez” Bruney in a post-season game this year. (And, if you think I’m being unfair on Edwar, let me remind you that he’s allowed 6 homers this season in the bigs over 17 games – while facing 87 batters.)

Lastly, regarding the Yankee Stadium cam-crew choosing “Harlan from Nebraska” for the “Match Game” on the big screen out in right (above the bleachers) – where he had to find the two numbers that had “Joba Chamberlain” behind them – well, guys, please, enough with the Harlan Chamberlain stuff. It’s played, dude. Way played.