Sidney Ponson did not have his best stuff against his former team, and it looked for a little while the Yankees might waste a good offensive performance after wasting three straight good pitching performances. The Yankees' offense did more than enough and then some, though, as they bounced back from a 7-6 defecit in the 7th and exploded for an 18-7 victory. The Red Sox lost, meaning the Yankees will enter their four-game set tonight with Boston only four games behind them in the wild card chase.

The Yankees scored more than twice as many runs last night as they did in the previous four games combined. It wasn't looking good at first for the Yankees, as they fell behind 3-1 early, but a grand slam by Jason Giambi in the bottom of the 3rd put the Yanks ahead by a score of 5-3. A bases loaded walk by Posada in the 5th made it 6-3 and it would have been 9-3 had it not been for a great diving play at first by Chris Davis to rob Robinson Cano of a bases clearing extra-base hit.

Sidney Ponson was laboring throughout the game, however, and you're only going to work your way into so much trouble before it catches up to you. Ponson allowed allowed a two-run homer to Milton Bradley and then one to Chris Davis, all before he was able to record an out in the 6th inning before leaving the game, as the Rangers went ahead by a score of 7-6. Ponson finished with a line of 7 runs off 9 hits and 3 walks in just 5 innings.

The Yankees would fail to score in the bottom of the 6th after having two on and nobody out as Derek Jeter grounded into a double play to end the Yankees' threat.

The Rangers brought in Wilson Madrigal into the game in the bottom of the 7th, who was making his Major League Debut. What ensued is what you might expect fof a pitcher when the first batters you're facing in the big leagues are Bobby Abreu, Alex Rodriguez, Jason Giambi and Jorge Posada. The poor guy allowed 6 runs in just a third of an inning as the Yankees had regained the lead and made it 10-7 before even recording an out. It was a 9-run inning for the Yankees, which was capped off by a three-run homer to right by Alex Rodriguez. Giambi had the go-ahead two-run double in the inning, giving him 6 RBI on the night.

The Yankees scored three again in the 8th to make the score 18-7, which would prove to be the final.

Brett Gardner finally picked up his first hit in this game, a base hit to right in the Yankees' 9-run 7th. He also had a stolen base and a walk, and was robbed of a hit earlier when he lined a ball right at the pitcher.

The bullpen did another solid job, with Edwar Ramirez, Kyle Farnsworth and Latroy Hawkins throwing a combined 4 innings of scoreless ball.

Well, here we go. The Yankees can enter Tuesday tied for the wild card or they can be 8 games back. Should be a fun series starting tonight, as Andy Pettitte will take the mound to face Jon Lester. Game starts at 7:05 E.T.