The Closer: "Those Guys Are Not Playing Around"

Notes from a day in baseball:

• 1. Boston Massacre, Part Deux. Even the most die-hard Red Sox fan must now be shivering like Kate Winslet on a plank in the middle of the North Atlantic. New York up by 5 1/2 in the AL East ... blow that whistle, Rose! The Great Giambini performed his magic on Sunday — two home runs and five RBI, some of which may not have been chemically aided — as the Yankees tied it in the ninth and won it in the 10th, 8-5. Steinbrenner Youth have won four straight over Boston and go for the sweep this afternoon. "It's not fair. Those guys are not playing around," Red Sock David Ortiz said. "It's bad, but things can change. We've got five weeks to play and we have time to fix this up." Beep beep beep beep beep beep beep SOS. Have struck iceberg. Not enough life rafts. Beep beep beep beep beep beep.

• 2. They're Expecting Twins. Hello, I'm Johan Santana, and I'll be your server tonight. Santana (15-5) allowed just one run over seven innings as the Twins beat the White Sox 7-3, coming to within one game of Chicago in the AL wild-card race.

• 3. Big Blue Planet. Time now to discuss Derek Lowe (eight strong innings), J.D. Drew and Nomar Garciaparra (each had a two-run home run) and the Dodgers' 5-2 win over the Giants, giving LA a 19-3 record over its past 22 games. Wait, we just did.

• 4. Great Scott. What's sadder than the NL wild card race, where the only team finishing over .500 will most likely win it? OK, too negative. Let us instead ruminate on Scott Hatteberg, who homered and drove in three to lead the Reds over the Pirates 5-1. Cincinnati leads Arizona by two games for the wild card.

• 5. Seven Ks For Seven Brothers. Roger Clemens got his 346th career win with seven innings of stellar effort, with nine fannings, as the Astros upending the Brewer Nine 3-1.