Is it a coincidence that the Yankees have won 4 out of 6 and seem to be turning a corner on the same day that Carl Pavano's Yankees career finally ends with Tommy John surgery?

I'd better stop here: Before you know it, I'll be writing about international banking conspiracies, the Freemasons and Halliburton.

I'll admit it: I'm sold on Tyler Clippard. He pitched big in a big game last night, getting in and out of three major jams in five innings. He demonstrated the walk tendency that we were warned about, but his stuff shows tantalizing promise. In the bottom third, against Thome, we saw three straight slippery curve balls from the Clip followed by a high fastball for the K...a glimpse of a good future. The only damage against him was a single that scored Jermaine Dye from 3rd.

The Yankees offense took its sweet time, but it arrived. The early innings were simply brutal, highlighted by Jeter grounding into 2 double plays in his first 2 ABs. This is so radically out of character that I became convinced that he must have been given a low dose of a slow acting neurotoxin in his food last night..sorry, pardon me, my conspiratorial side is in overdrive today.

The Yankees first run came from a semi-check swing by...Miguel Cairo!??!? The dangerous Miguel's line drive scored Cano from 2nd.

The top 6 was beautiful...I mean it.
-Damon sliced it the other way to start the frame off with a double.
-Jeter bunted (brilliantly calculated move) and was easily safe at first, Damon took third.
-Bobby Abreu (the real one, not the Invasion of the Body Snatchers pod replica who can't draw walks or hit) singled to drive in Damon.
-Alex hammered a double off the wall in center, Jeter scored and Bobby took third.
-Jorge went the other way to Dye in right for a sac fly, it was a close play at the plate but Abreu slid his hand under the tag.
-With the infield drawn in, Matsui grounded past first, plating Alex.

Suddenly: 5-1.

In the top 7th, Alex got another RBI single and added a HR in the 9th that was actually a bit frightening, because it landed about 20 rows back in RF and it looked like a few frustrations were taken out on that ball.

Farnsworth let in a run in the 8th (shocking) and Bruney had some control problems in the 9th, loading the bases. Rivera firmly closed the door on a White Sox comeback, allowing only a run on a sac fly.

This White Sox team is begging to lose 3 of 4 in this series.

PS: My official position is: Give him real estate in Manhattan. Give him a percentage of the team. Do whatever it takes to keep Alex here. I want to see him hit another 315 HRs in pinstripes.