Well, the Boston Red Sox had their shot to clinch the AL East for the first time since 1995. They beat the Minnesota Twins 5-2, while the Yankees still held on, leading the Baltimore Orioles 9-6. With the bases loaded, Hall of Fame closer, Mariano Rivera took the mound for the Yankees. Allowing a three-run triple to accused steriod abuser, Jay Payton, the Orioles tied it up in the bottom of the ninth, 9-9. In the bottom of the tenth inning, the Orioles played the role of spoiler, laying down a sacrifice bunt off of rookie Edwar Ramirez, winning 10-9, and giving the Red Sox the AL East.

The Yankees were extremely toubled in the beginning of the year, losing most of it's pitching staff to injuries, and having a below-average offense, despite arguably the best lineup in the MLB. Andy Pettitte, Mike Mussina, Carl Pavano, Chein-Ming Wang, top prospect Phillip Hughes, and others suffered a bizarre rash of injuries that plagued the already helpless Yankees. Coupled with the poor performances of Bobby Abreu, Johnny Damon, and others, the Yankeeswere indead-last in the AL East, even behind the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. With a rookie-filled pitching staff, and their lineup back to doing their job, the Yankees broke out, after the All-Star Break, becoming the hottest team in baseball. The Yankees went from being 14.5 games behind Boston, to just 1.5.

Unfortunetly,they would ultimatly fall just short of reliving 1978, in which they were 14 back of Boston, and would end up winning on a tie on the last day of the season, with the famous Bucky F. Dent homerun. The Yankees were knocked out of the AL East last night, on one of the many fumbles that have plagued Mariano Rivera, who had an ERA below 2.00 for the last 4 years, but has an ERA of 3.15 this season. He has blown 4 saves, including the one last night, for the first time since 2005, and finishing with 30 saves, his least in nearly 5 years. Mariano's career may not be over, but his career as a Yankees may in fact, be coming to an end, as his contract expires at the end of the year. Mo will have to step it up in the postseason, and prove that he is still the most dominant closer, and the greatest closer of all-time. Otherwise, rookie sensation, Joba Chamberlain, may end up taking his place in the CL position.