WHEELS COME OFF

"It's obvious why one American League official told Newsday's Ken Davidoff the Red Sox are "a dead team." It has something to do with the fact that they are without a pulse.

Not that they'll find sympathy on the other side of the field. When Pedro Martinez made a loud entrance onto the field in street clothes yesterday afternoon, a couple of Yankees uncomfortably shook his hand. But not all. "I don't know the guy," Posada sniffed. "He's not my friend. No sense for me to say hello."

Boston's clubhouse was deadly quiet before the game. Manny Ramirez clicked off the voice of Bostonian baseball analyst Peter Gammons talking on ESPN about how lifeless the Red Sox are. Later, there was a half-serious confrontation between Jason Varitek and Curt Schilling about why Schilling blew off the pre-series pitchers' meeting, in which opposing hitters are discussed. That Schilling isn't pitching either of the next two games was no excuse, for Varitek or Schilling.

When Schilling tried to take the offensive, Varitek reasonably wondered why the guy who missed the meeting was the one raising his voice. The historic visual of "25 players, 25 cabs" was fresh in anyone's mind who witnessed this scene.

It's nice from a Yankees perspective that Boston appears to be coming unglued."

-- Newsday: More of the same