Boston pins a dark, ominous "we-shoulda-won-that-game" loss on the Yankees. Will it haunt us the rest of the season?

Last night, Boston did us a favor.

They reminded us - the team, front office and fan base - how meaningless the first half of the MLB season has become, and how quickly the Yin Yang can reverse itself, especially with rivals. Today, we sit and think, Damn, we shoulda won...

Doan gemme wrong: A 15-game lead ain't dogmeat. It will require an epic choke, second worst in Yank history (you know the worst), for this team to miss the 2022 postseason. We will almost certainly win the AL East and receive the incredible reward: A first-round bye (along with Houston.) 

That means we (along with Houston) get to sit around for a week and watch the wild card teams claw each other apart. Then, we play the winning - and, of course, hotter - team. 

In other words, these mid-season series represent glorified spring exhibitions, played to craft the industry narratives that will boost revenues in October.  

And if Boston wins tonight, no matter how far ahead we are in the standings, they get to live in our heads through the all star break, (along with Houston.) Last night, Boston reminded us that 2022 was never going to be over, even if we swept them at home. It was just going to be a false ending in the horror movie. We're better off being stung. But damn, we shoulda won...

Some thoughts...

1. I don't buy the Jeter Downs crapola, but Jeet getting his first MLB hit and scoring the winning run should spook us. He was hitting only .217 at Triple A, and he's 23, not 21 (like Anthony Volpe is.) Ever since the Redsocks got him for Mookie Betts and David Price, Boston has drooled over him like Jeffrey Epstein. Last night he gave flight to a legend, but living up to such things is no easy feat. It's a nice piece of newsprint, sort of like Slade Heathcott's HR to beat Tampa a few years back, the birth of a king! Fox Sports would have you believe the story ended happily last night. But expectations can be cruel, especially in Boston. Good luck, Jeet. 

2. Part of me wants to blame Josh Donaldson for last night's loss. He let a game-ending DP grounder bounce out of his glove, the kind of botch that the 2022 Yankees have mostly avoided. Damn. We shoulda won. But everybody gets a mulligan. Besides, Donaldson has played surprisingly good defense at 3B this year, and just a few innings earlier, he made a spectacular play. He still represents a Yankee veteran who should have a better second-half.  

3. It speaks volumes that Aroldis Chapman wasn't even mentioned in the 10th inning mix, after Clay Holmes was spent. Obviously, Aaron Boone still has little or no confidence in El Chapo. Are we only going to see him in blowouts? Not saying he's earned anybody's trust... but I get the feeling that tonight's game will be Chapman's  to save - (and that's the recipe for a crushing loss.)

4. Soon - like, imminently - the Yanks must do something with Jonathan Loaisiga and Domingo German. For Loaisiga, it's easy: He rejoins the team as a bullpen lugnut, an alt-Michael King. For German, though, I dunno. Unless Boone moves into a six-man rotation - not the worst idea - where does German pitch? Keep in mind, we've already stashed the worthy Clarke Schmidt in Scranton.

One of these days - like, imminently - the Pirates will pull the trigger on Bryan Reynolds. German and/or Loaisiga - or Schmidt - could be part of a massive Yankee package, which would probably include Volpe and/or Jasson Dominguez. An asteroid is about to hit the farm system. Reynold won't come cheaply, but he's a formidable CF and, arguably, the answer to our needs. 

5. Have you noticed Baltimore? No, I'm not tripping. They have won seven in a row are closing on Toronto, and they loom as an ascending second-half team. 

I'm delighted to note that the Yankees played them 13 times thus far, with only six to go. Meanwhile, the rest of the AL East must face their revived lineup far more often. Baltimore has  15 games with Toronto, 10 with Tampa, and 11 with Boston. We played them at the right time. 

6. Giancarlo Stanton as an all star is a joke. He should claim a tight gonad and stay home rather than subject America to his paltry jumbotron stats. 

7. Getting back to last night... everything went south when Anthony Rizzo was thrown out trying to steal third. Until then, the Yankees were running with abandon. Wiping out Rizzo killed our chances. Damn. We shoulda won that game.