The Mariners don’t have to, Alvin.

21 wins out of the last 36 they have to play is .583 ball, and that gets them to 94W…MAYBE enough for the WC. For 95 wins, they have to play at a .611 rate.

It’s the Yanks who have to play at a .676 rate from here on to = 94 wins, and a .706 rate to = 95 wins.

Those head-to-head games with the Red Sox will, indeed, be crucial.

Extra innings are a nightmare for the Yankees.

I will say that Henn should be sent back to AAA or d.f.a. This has to be it for him. People get on Villone but you know what? I’d have rather had Villone in there then Henn if no one else could be brought in or another lefty had to be in there, that’s how badly Henn su cks. Henn suc ked the minute he returned in a Yankee uniform cuz he got calledup only cuz Myers suc ked so badly.

Second-guessing? No, I thought it was ridiculous that Ramirez, Chamberlain, Farnsworth, or Vizcaino who pitched an effective inning each couldn’t go 2 IP after an off-day. What was this “let’sgive everyone an inning of work night?” Last I checked Seattle had won their game vs. putrid Texas -looks like Torre didn’t. Torre’s typical idiotic bullpen management cost the Yanks the game because if he has any of those four pitch 2 innings (you want to say save Chamberlain cuz of the rules for his use, fine, one of 3 guys), we don’t see Mr.Automatic Loss in the final frame, I mean Henn should not be in a Yankee uniform. He really gave up the game before Guillen’s homerun cuz the Yanks caught Polanco napping off 1B (no Polanco brainlock, Ordonez’s blooper wins the game).

It’s time we faced the fact that at 2-4 in their last 6, 4-6 in their last 10 games, 6-6 in their last 12, and 8-7 in their last 15 (after 6-1 vs. K.C. and Chicago who are let’s face it, the dregs of the A.L. this year besides T.B.) which means they’ve been progressively playing worse, maybe this Yankee team isn’t postseason worthy. They’re 3 games back of Seattle and do you honestly beleive they’re winning the next 3 vs. Detroit again with Mussina and the mostly ineffective Hughes starting after Wang? And Wang hasn’t been Mr. Automatically Solid lately. I see 2-1 and we can only hope Texas takes the next 2 so the Yanks are 1.5 games back going back to N.Y. to face Boston (assuming an off-day for Seattle Mon.)

I don’t want to hear about the Yanks catching Boston from any of you, not at 6.5 back cuz guess what? Boston isn’t getting swept at Yankee Stadium and they will probably be 4.5 games ahead of the Yanks at worst going into N.Y. Let’s say the Yanks are 5.5 games behind Boston going into the series with them Tues. All Boston has to do is win a game and they leave N.Y. still up a healthy 4.5 games with the Yanks having only 27 games left to play. If Boston holds at 6.5 ahead going into Tuesday, that series is meaningless as far as the division race is concerned. They sweep the Yanks, the Yanks season could be over after 9/30. They take 2 of 3 and leave with a 7.5 lead, they’ll win the division.

But I still say we pass Seattle eventually. They aren’t this good by far, and there’s no way they’ll play .750 baseball for the remaining 40 something games.