“Fear Factor” canceled
Sure, the Yankees won the regular-season series, 10 games to 9. But the Red Sox scored enough runs for an entire series in a couple of those contests. There isn’t a pitcher in the Yankees’ clubhouse who leaves the Sox lineup quaking in its cleats, including the departing Roger Clemens.
Ace in the hole
Pedro Martinez is poised to pitch Game 3, the first in Fenway Park. Then he’ll be rested and ready for a possible deciding Game 7 in the Bronx. In the last two Red Sox playoff series that went the distance, Pedro picked up the win on the road in the final game. And unpredictable manager Grady Little might even use him as a reliever in Games 1 and 5.
No rest for the arm-weary
The Sox set a big-league record with five

sluggers hitting 25 or more home runs. One of them is No. 9 hitter and catcher Jason Varitek, who won’t even get the start when knuckler

Tim Wakefield is on the hill. The Yankees have a wealth of post-season

pitching grit, but even they need

a break that won’t be coming in this line-up.
‘Pen mightier than the sword
Who woulda thunk it? Scott Williamson won Games 3 and 4 in the division series against Oakland. Mike Timlin

was untouchable the entire week. Rubber-armed Derek Lowe did everything but wander through the grandstands selling

flat beer and peanuts. The Yankees’ cadre of relief pitchers

faced as many questions as Boston’s during the season, and

the Twins weren’t a true test.
Passing the chemistry test
General managers Theo Epstein of Boston and Brian Cashman of New York overhauled their rosters in their annual race to trump the other franchise. Theo gets higher grades for uniting a band

of overachievers who genuinely like one another. The Yankees seemed to thrive in spite of the wheeling and dealing,

not because of it.
By Kalle Oakes