Just what the doctor ordered

Monday night was the hard slap across the face. The splash of cold ice water. The vigorous shake of the shoulders.

Snap out of it Red Sox nation. It ain't over yet.

There appears to be no middle ground when it comes to Red Sox fans. We go from zero to 60 faster than a Porsche Carrera. It's either "they" really stink or "we're" going all the way. There never appears to be anything in between for the local fan base.

Now don't get me wrong. Just because the desperate Yankmees spanked us doesn't change the basic facts. The Sox have a much better pitching staff than the Bombers and over the long haul that will prove to be the difference. But all this talk about New York being "out of it" a week before Memorial Day is simply absurd.

Yes a $200 million payroll doesn't buy what it used to, especially when you throw away $15 million on a walk specialist like Bobby Abreu, $13 million on a fading centerfielder with a chicken arm and $28 million on a money hungry 45 year old egotist that will pitch four or five innings every fifth day and then head home. But make no mistake, even with all the holes, this Yankee team is far from being done.

Derek Jeter and Jorge Posada still know how to win. ARod will put up huge numbers until October and Hideki Matsui, Robinson Cano, and Juicin' Giambi are still dangerous hitters. This is a scary potent lineup and when the weather gets warmer and some of the bats snap out of it , they will put up a ton of runs. It won't be enough but they will not finish double digits out of first place. They will still probably end up with the wild card. They are built for the regular season and will eventually make things uncomfortable for the Sox.

Which is why I had a bad feeling about this series even before it started. Dopey talk show callers asking "so when we sweep the series will Joe Torre be fired?" is just ridiculous. The Yanks have what's left of their pitching staff lined up perfectly. Meanwhile, doesn't it bother you that of the three pitchers the Sox will run out there, the one who is throwing the best is Julian Tavarez? Wakefield got shelled last night just like he did against the Tigers. Schilling has looked awful in his last two starts. Shouldn't we start worrying about THEM looking old?

Plus the Yankees are once again desperate. If they lose two of three, they will come out of this 11 1/2 games back. At some point the numbers just get too big to overcome. The Sox, meanwhile, only have to take one of three to leave the Big Apple with a nine and a half game cushion. Teams in such desperate straits, usually play with a much better sense of purpose. Even this pulseless bunch of pinstripers.

Sox players have been saying all the right things as they do no wrong while the Yanks keep walking under ladders and breaking mirrors. After Monday's listless effort, maybe the Sox will actually begin to believe what they are saying. There IS a long way to go. And they better not forget it.

So please maintain a dollop of healthy skepticism. The "bad" Sox showed up Monday. They again left too many many on base (12 to be exact) as Youk, Drew, Manny and Lugo maddeningly failed to deliver the clutch hit that would have gotten them into the game. Wake was terrible again. Romero couldn't find the plate and we were even treated to the Pawtucket Arsonist Manny Delcarmen in the 7th and Joel Pinata in the eighth.

But there is no need to leap off the Tobin Bridge just because the Yankees took one from the Sox. Just consider it a wake up call.