Sports...on the Rox: the Monster vs. Godzilla

You know it's a great week when it starts off with your team sweeping their most hated rivals at home for the first time in 17 years. I guess merely stating that they swept doesn't even do them justice.

The Red Sox beat the Yankees by coming back in 3 straight games, games in which the Yankees gained the lead TWICE in each. The Red Sox beat the Yankees by absolutely mauling Mariano Rivera's cut fastball that hung way too along over the plate, skyrocketing his ERA and keeping him save-less for the year. The Red Sox beat the Yankees behind Dice-K's ability to pitch inside to A-Rod, effectively cooling him down for the time being. The Red Sox beat the Yankees with an earth shattering, record-breaking display of back-to-back-to-back-to-back homeruns which sent Chase Wright into the depths of minor league ball for the forseeable future. And it can't go without saying that the Red Sox were victorious this past weekend because of their phenomenal bullpen. Yup, that very same one that was supposed to be the "weakness" of this otherwise talented club(talking to you, Steve Phillips).

Maybe it's the fact that the Sox are 3 games ahead of the 2nd place team(Toronto) in the AL East, or that the Yankees have lost 6 straight and are chillin' in the bottom of the division, but I'm GREATLY looking forward to this weekend's rematch in the Bronx. This comes as a drastic change from years prior when I would worry about just comint out of The Stadium with one victory out of three. Not any more. Our pitching is solid(although the big 3 won't be up this weekend), but our bullpen has carried us, and our bats are just now starting to heat up. But there is yet another reason I look forward to the series this weekend, more specifically, the game tomorrow.

One hails from the Seibu Lions, the other from the Yomiuri Giants, but both are certified Mega-Stars in Japan. Of course, I'm talking about Dice-K Matsuzaka and Yankees left fielder Hideki Matsui. I really am intrigued, as well as anxious, to see how this matchup plays out. Matsui did not play in the Fenway beatdown last weekend due to injury, but rest assured he'll be in the Bombers' lineup when things kick off at 7:00pm.

You thought Japan stood still for the Ichiro/Matsuzaka epic a few weeks ago? Well, the whole island may explode after tomorrow night. It will be Dice-K dazzling assortment of damaging dishes against the quick bat, powerful pull, and Matsui's knack for really hurting Red Sox pitching over the years. I won't be able to help the fact that every time they meet tomorrow I will have Duel of Fates ringing in my head. In Japan Dice-K was known as The Monster, while Matsui was often called Godzilla. Appropriate titles for such an epic matchup in the Bronx, don't you think?