NEW YORK - Having squeezed five games into 13 days, the Red Sox and Yankees will now take this brief respite, thank you. For the time being, the Yankees have seen enough.
The Yanks? Teixeira ($180 million) hinted at a breakout when he homered twice Monday, but is still batting .198. C.C. Sabathia ($161 million) has been surprisingly cautious in his approach and A.J. Burnett ($82.5 million) has been typically enigmatic -- dominant at times, but also capable of blowing a six-run lead, as he did in his first start against the Sox.
The good news? A-Rod's almost ready to return. The bad news? A-Rod's almost ready to return.Having gone through the first five weeks with Cody Ransom, Ramiro Pena and Angel Berroa giving them next to nothing at third base, the Yanks can't wait to welcome back A-Rod's bat, especially with Teixeira pressing and Jorge Posada placed on the DL Tuesday.
But the Yanks aren't just getting back his offense. They're also getting the distraction and controversy that go hand-in-hand with Rodriguez. For a team which has underachieved to date, the prodigal third baseman could represent a decidedly mixed blessing.
