On the Yankees beat

Mike Gavin here to wrap up the 2008 season.

The Rays own the AL East, the Red Sox own the wild card, and the Mets own the backpages. The Yankees have not been so irrelevant entering their final game of the season since the early-90s'. They conclude their disappointing season tonight at Fenway as they go for a sweep of the Red Sox, in the second game of a doubleheader.

The Yankees started the second half of the season with an eight-game winning streak, and have now won 12 of their last 14 games. It was the space between that killed them.

First pitch is just minutes away......

Top of the 1st -- Gardner gets plunked but the Yanks go down quietly.

Bottom of the 1st -- Crisp scores on a fielder's choice. Red Sox 1, Yankees 0.

Top of the 2nd -- Yanks go down 1-2-3. Not exactly a star-studded lineup for the Yanks. Cano, Giambi, and Nady being the only regulars. Strange move in a game of such significance. You really have to question the motives behind making up this game when it has absolutely no impact on the pennant races.

Bottom of the 2nd -- Ponson puts a zero on the scoreboard.

Top of the 3rd -- Yankees strand two runners after singles by Cabrera and Miranda.

Bottom of the 3rd -- Another quick inning for Ponson and the Yanks.

Top of the 4th -- Three up, three down for Wakefield.

Bottom of the 4th -- Sox go down in order. Both teams are swinging as if this game doesn't mean anything.

Top of the 5th -- No runs, no hits for the Yanks.

Bottom of the 5th -- Ponson has retired eight in a row.

Top of the 6th -- Singles by Cano and Girardi led to a fielder's choice by Nady to tie the game. Ivan Rodriguez hit into an inning-ending double-play. Yankees 1, Red Sox 1.

Bottom of the 6th -- Yet another perfect inning for Ponson. Production of his Yankeeography is now underway.

Top of the 7th -- Yanks go down easily. This game has the making of an 18-inning classic.

Bottom of the 7th -- Still 1-1 through seven innings.

Top of the 8th -- The Yanks were threatening with runners on second and third but Francisco Cervelli (not exactly a household name) struck out to end the inning.

Bottom of the 8th -- Darrell Rasner set himself up for disaster by walking the bases loaded. Casey singled to score two runs. The bell begins to toll for the 2008 Yankee season.....Red Sox 3, Yankees 1.

Top of the 9th -- The 2008 Yanks were flat-lining but have somehow been revived. Miranda hit a sac-fly, and Cano followed with an RBI single to tie the game and prolong the season. If only they had played with this fire in the previous 161 games. Yankees 3, Red Sox 3.

Bottom of the 9th -- The winning run was in scoring position, but the Yankees managed to escape. Extra frames of meaningless baseball.

Top of the 10th -- Yanks go down 1-2-3.

Bottom of the 10th -- The 2008 Yankee season has officially came to its untimely end. After allowing a lead-off triple, Jose Veras intentionally walked the bases full then allowed a game-winning single to Van Every. Final Score: Red Sox 4, Yankees 3, 10 innings.

After a season that saw: 1) devastating injuries to Jorge Posada, Chien-Ming Wang, Hideki Matsui and Phil Hughes; 2) a rotation that relied upon the likes of Sidney Ponson, Carl Pavano and Darrell Rasner; 3) a grand total of zero wins between Hughes and Ian Kennedy; 4) a regression and occasional lack of hustle by Robinson Cano; 5) little to no offensive production from the centerfield position; 6) a season-long absence of consistent, situational hitting; and 7) Alex Rodriguez hit only when the Yankees were either winning with a comfortable lead or trailing by an insurmountable deficit, the postseason will begin on Wednesday, without the New York Yankees.