Somehow, the Yankees are winning games that - halfway through - you're absolutely certain they will lose

Last night, in the 7th - after Giancarlo Stanton's rifle shot to the wall in RF became a single, quickly erased by a DP - I would have bet my four lake houses on Tahoe that the Yankees were fated to lose.

Listen: I've seen my share of Yankee defeats. I know the signs: the gritty texture, the rank fragrance, the colonoscopy-prep taste - dear, God, they never skimp on warning signals. 

It starts in the 1st, when they load the bases and fail to score. It rolls through the 5th, when the career minor leaguer, who they've never seen, channels Koufax. It slogs into the 8th, with 111 mph drives directly at outfielders. It ends with Mean Chad Green, or Aroldis, or Clay Holmes with a four-pitch walk. 

Yeah, we all know the looming Yankee loss.

But but BUT... last night, WTF? They won! In fact, that second game in Seattle - it looked like a loss from the first YES mention of Jay Buhner - yet they fucking won! How can this be? What is happening? 

Somehow, the Yankees lately are prevailing in obvious losses. In recent weeks, they've won four extra-innings games - this after practically an entire season of blowing them.

Which prompts a question: Do we dare hope? 

I say, no. I say, stand back. In fact, I say... run. 

This smells like a French fry in a bear trap. 

Over the final two weeks, the juju gods could have us capture home field advantage before the final series, letting the Yankees relax before they then go into hibernation with the 1st-round bye. It's frightening enough that they'll sit for a week of downtime. What if they add an extra three or four games? 

Also, let's not forget that last night's win came over Oakland, a team that would be approaching legend status, if not for the White Sox. For all my Yankee pessimism, I'm sure A's fans were just as certain of a loss. When it comes to blowing games, we simply had met our match.

So, what am I saying? 

Simple. No matter what happens, be ready to suffer. To tweak Monty Python: "Always look on the dark side of life." Let's not fall for the juju gods' sick tactics. Nothing good comes from thinking this team will win. All season, whenever we felt good about them, a losing streak emerged. 

So... the magical Magic Number - the one that includes home field advantage - is five. We can cut it tonight, maybe steal another unwinnable game? Baltimore visits Tuesday. Juju or not, we need a nicely padded lead.