"I hate Josh Beckett."

That's about the only non-profane comment you can read today at

JoyOfSox, the Red Sox blog.

Red at Surviving Grady writes:

I knew it had the chance to be bad, this series, but I'll be honest -- I didn't expect the schoolyard beat-down that's been going on.

They're both talking, of course, of this weekend's five-game series between the Yankees and Red Sox. The Yankees got to Boston a game and a half in first place, and the Red Sox play tougher than any other team in the majors in their home ballpark.

There was, in Boston, so much hope.

So far, the Yankees have taken the first three games by a combined score of 734 to 7. (Actually, the collective score of the three games is only 39 to 20, but it sure has seemed a lot more brutal than that.)

Both teams have been in transition since the pivotal 2003-2004 seasons, when the Yankees won the pennant one year, and the Red Sox the next. The Yankees have brought up new players like Robinson Cano (who was elected as an All Star this year), Melky Cabrera, who is hitting nearly .300, Chien Ming Wang (a 14-game winner so far this year who is now one of the most efficent pitchers in Major League Baseball.)

The Red Sox have brought up players like Somebody Delcarmen, a New York native named Craig Hansen and a stream of other relief pitchers whose Earned Run Average is north of 8.00. Boston management and players have, until this weekend, been approaching the game like every mistake can be absolved by a walk-off, five-run home run by David Ortiz. It's worked for a while. But even Ortiz looks tired this weekend, especially odd since he only has to play half a game every day as the team's designated hitter.

There are two games left in this series, including tonight's expected pitcher's duel between Mike Mussina and Curt Schilling. But right now the Yankees are sitting in first place have a 4-and-a-half game lead over the Red Sox. As Yogi used to say, it's getting late early out there.