Looking Forward, Looking Back

So the Yankees are in, will the Red Sox join them in a few hours? The Boston ball club need only to win or for Cleveland to lose to clinch the wildcard and a best of five series with the ChiSox starting at 4:05 EST on Tuesday. Should they lose and Cleveland are victorious then they'll play tomorrow at 7:05 EST at Fenway for the right to play Chi Town.

The Yankees have not clinched the #2 seed despite what I wrote last night. Any combination of a Yankee win and an Angels loss today though will mean the ALDS starts in New York. A Yankee loss and an Angel win in Texas would mean game 1 would be on the west coast. Mike Mussina is set to pitch that game for the Yankees, the other starters are yet to be determined.

This is of course all based on Boston winning the W/C. If they don't the Yanks would play the Indians starting in the Bronx on Tuesday night. The only way that couldn't happen is if LAA take the #2 seed (win today and we lose) and then they'ed play the Indians and we'd start out in ChiTown, confused yet?

Mr 'I must of walked under several ladders' Wright takes the mound this afternoon, and I suspect that neither Flash nor Mo will be available even if the game is close. I look to see F-Rod, Proctor, Embree and Leiter in the bp for the Bombers. Also several regulars will be rested says Torre, I think they would include Jeter, Matsui, Sheffield, Giambi, Posada and Cano. A-Rod I look to start at 3rd and Matsui will make an appearance in the 9th to keep up his consecutive game streak in tact.

So my guess at the line-up today is as follows:

Womack lf
Crosby cf
A-Rod 3b
Williams dh
Sierra rf
Martinez 1b
Bellhorn 2b
Flaherty c
Escalona ss

Not exactly frightening but a few players could do with a couple of days off to re-charge the old batteries. All eyes on Cleveland and Boston tonight in the AL to see who'll be that fourth playoff team, both are good sides and both would be a credit to the league.