Answer: in a 5-game series that is tied 1-1, this is huuuuggggeeeeee.  The winner is one game away from the series while the loser has to win 2 in a row.  SU has said that a 5-game format gives a lesser team like the Yankees a better shot vs. the Red Sox than if they were playing a 7-game series.  Some thoughts this morning:

• Alex Cora is either a genius or will go down in history as mis-managing his way through this series with his bullpen moves.  SU asks why so many starters pitching in relief?  You won 108 games – did you ever have to do that in the regular season?
• Did you see the stat that Tanaka has historically one of the lowest post-season ERAs in history?  Sooo, why take him out after 5 innings in game 2?  Sure, it worked out with Betances although he did give up one run.  If Severino is lights out through 5, do we see this happen again tonight?
• SU believes that if hitters keep seeing the same pitchers game after game in relief, they will figure things out.  There is a downside to keep rolling out all of the relievers.  SU is concerned.
• And I continue to hate that Boone takes out Andujar after 5-6 innings for defense.  He is a reliable hitter and these games are too close for the most part to remove him.  Just a matter of time before that costs him.
• Severino is up and down vs. Boston but clearly better at home.  Porcello is much better at Fenway vs. the Yankees.  Tonight is really a toss-up.
• Finally: Chapman terrifies me.  His ERA against Boston is 8.57 or something like that.  Britten is no sure thing either.  SU says no lead is safe here late – for either team.

Note I did not criticize Stanton.  He continues to fly under the radar with his ineffectiveness.  But ready to be proven wrong.

SU caught the 2nd half of the Giant game yesterday – that was great fun.  I don’t think there was one punt – just touchdowns and interceptions.  A guy making a 63-yard game winning field goal is similar to all of the pitchers today throwing 100 mph.  The game has changed and kickers are stronger and more athletic (or the chemists in baseball and football continue to be a step ahead of the testers).  Gano made that one with 10 yards to spare.  Btw, it’s not healthy to watch a full Giant game – kills some portion of your brain cells after 3 hours.

Let’s get right to it:

• Red Sox bullpen is pretty terrible for a team that almost won 110 games.  Wow.  You have to roll out your game 3 starter to pitch the 8th inning?
• Stanton is not a generational player.  Wait, let me repeat it as I should have never said anything nice about him earlier in the year.  My bad.  Overpowered and overwhelmed by the moment.  And looks all the smaller when compared to Judge who showed his greatness even though he is just coming back from injury.  I am telling you – $30 million a year for the next 10 years is a big problem.
• RISP hitting was not surprisingly the difference.  Killed them tonight but has been an issue all year.  If the Yankees are going to win, need to be a bit more clutch.  And I think the young guys will rise to the occasion.  The trick is to navigate around Stanton in the line up.
• If Hicks is done for the series with his hamstring, that is huge.  He has been solid and is one of the few left-handed bats.
• Game 2 is must win vs. Price.  And they need to win in 4 games as you won’t win the Happ vs. Sale match-up.

Team battled back from 0-5 and SU is heartened by that.  Runners on base in just about every inning.  SU will stick with the Yankees in 4 prediction.  Key is to get into their bullpen every game and early.

Anyone care to disagree?

SU gives out props to long-time SU subscribers, A. Grossman and B. Rosano who both predicted Yankee wins last night in the wild card game.  Clearly, they had more confidence in the team than did SU which failed miserably in its losing prediction.  However, nothing ventured, nothing gained, and SU is always fearless in telling the sports world the truth.

Yankee manager, Aaron Boone, passed his first test as a post-season playoff manager.   But what did we think of these moves?

• Bringing in Betances in the 5th inning and having him pitch 2 full innings.  Wow, risky in that he is never brought in for the middle of an inning and when he has pitched more than one inning, he is usually bad in the 2nd inning.  He was great last night and made Boone look like a genius.
• Removing Andujar after 5 innings for defense.  He lost 2 additional at bats and the score was only 2-0 then.  SU did not like that move.  At all.  It should not be repeated.  He is your best hitter.  OK, he makes the occasional bad throw but against Boston, you will need the offense.  Take the risk.
• Starting McCutchen over Gardner.  Let’s be real: going forward, Gardner is a bench player and pinch runner.  Boone likes McCutchen’s on base percentage.  Gardner had his chances.  I can’t argue with the move but I do feel badly for Gardner.
• Removing Severino in the 5th inning.  SU did not have a problem with that – he had thrown a lot of pitches at that point and they were starting to hit him.  But note for the Red Sox series: the Yankee bullpen is not lock-down solid this year.  Even Chapman is a question mark and Britten makes you buckle up.

For the record, I was not surprised that Stanton hit a meaningless (for the most part) home run in the 8th inning.  His buddy Judge is the much more clutch performer.

For SU, the Yankees now go from a favorite in the wild card game to the underdog vs. Boston.  They should feel much less pressure and the Red Sox need to rise to the challenge and fulfill expectations for a record breaking season.  SU will boldy predict the Yankees winning in 4 games but I will say this.  If it goes to 5 games, SU does not trust Chapman to close it out.  At all.  It would be crushing to have him blow the series in the 9th inning.  The Yankees need to split in Fenway and then close it out in NY.  Having a lead in game 5 in the 9th inning would be much too stressful and Chapman has had his share of meltdowns in Fenway Park.

I also think the 5-game series format is a big assist to the Yankees as the better team wins the 7-game series.  And the Red Sox are the better team for sure.

OK, let’s hear what you think for this next series.  Be bold.

SU is not into predicting scores for individual games but we have received several requests now to put our reputation on the line for the Wild Card game tonight.  As mentioned earlier, SU is not confident for this game.  Starting Severino is not ideal given his 2nd half of the season performance and his abbreviated outing last year in this game.  Not every pitcher is cut out for the post-season.  Some get too amped up or are just too intense.  Look at Clayton Kershaw – not nearly as good in October.

I also don’t think the Yankees are good at making the adjustments for the train of relief pitchers that the A’s will throw out there tonight – especially with their all right-handed line up.  And players and teams get tight in the post-season – see the Cubs who scored 2 runs in 22 innings and will now be at home for the duration.

So, based on all of this, SU sees the Yankees falling 4-2 in a painful game to watch.  Clearly, I hope I am wrong but SU is not paid the big bucks to be a homer.  We call it like we see it.

OK, I know many of you like to put your own predictions out there with the hope of gaining international acclaim if you are right.  Have at it!

SU is back from vacation and has some rapid fire thoughts for you:

• Very worried about the Yankees’ chances in the wild card game.  If Oakland does full reliever on them, it’s not good.  During the year, the Yankees rarely hit well when faced with a succession of hard throwing relievers, and Oakland has a bunch of them.  The team is not built to score without the aid of home runs.  True, they have been hitting better of late but we all know that can come and go.  Can you move runners, hit away from the shift, steal a base?
• SU thinks the Yankees will go with Severino.  Boone likes the idea of the shutdown ace who throws 99 mph.  But he will be on a short leash just like last season.
• Boone will start McCutchen but I would go with Gardner.
• I am not making any predictions but this is a much tougher match-up than the Twins in 2017.  I am not feeling confident.
• Caught some of the Ryder Cup in the morning hours.  It’s funny how bad Tiger Woods’ record is in team competition.  Something like 9-19 in pairs play and he lost in singles on Sunday.  The US captain’s job is just ripe to be second guessed.  Really can’t win.  The US team hasn’t won in Europe in something like 25 years.  But a lot of fun to watch the intensity of the players.
• Which week will the Giants bottom out?  OBJ is just about ready to go nuclear with frustration.  He is doing his best to hold it in but he is going to erupt soon.  They are pretty unwatchable.  Eli has no time to throw.  Period.
• I still think college football is much more enjoyable although the NFL had some high scoring games yesterday.  Still too many penalties and replay takes way too long.

So, Yankee fans, feeling confident?  Let us know what you think.

Yesterday was a busy day in the SU universe when it comes to comments.  We wanted to highlight the comment which came in late in the day from relatively new SU subscriber, J. Levine, as shown below:

SU says you probably shouldn’t slide head first into any base.  Didi Gregorious tore some cartilidge in his wrist on Saturday by sliding into home plate and may miss the playoffs now.  This would be a huge loss for the Yankees as he is probably the best hitter with RISP on the team facing either a left-handed or right-handed pitcher.  Big, big loss if he can’t go.  They can slide Walker in or Echeverria but neither is close to his value.

We have seen Gardner slide into first base trying to leg out infield hits and others have done it as well with several dislocating their shoulders.  Maury Wills always went feet first.  SU thinks it was Ricky Henderson who started the head first trend.  But at home plate with the catcher’s shin guards ready to give you a concussion and jam your fingers?  Ouch, ouch, ouch.  Anyway, Didi is going to make it a go but if he can’t, this could hurt the team’s October chances.  And by the way, why do the Yankees not try and win every game now?  Pitch Cole in the 6th inning?  Home field for that wild card game is important.  Tampa Bay will make the next 4 games their personal playoff to have the Yankees play that game on the road or even still try and catch the A’s.

SU knows many on this blog are not Tiger Woods fans.  “Anyone but Tiger” is their mantra.  SU is a fan – he makes any tournament so much more interesting.  Kudos to him for coming back from back surgery and winning a tournament for the first time in 5 years.  He was very emotional – so out of character but good to see and good for the sport.  OK, so he banged some porn stars along the way and cheated on his wife.  Clearly that makes him presidential material in this country.  The next step will be to see if he can win majors again and you have to think that 2019 will be the year.

Let’s face the truth: after watching the Yankees and the Giants this weekend, we can come to the same conclusion about the offensive production for both teams.

The Giants’ offense has been reduced to throwing quick passes to Barkley and hoping he can break 17 tackles to gain a few yards.  Eli was running for his life all night and took a beating for an older QB.  As Joe Girardi would say, “It’s not what you want.”  SU says Eli has always functioned better in a no huddle offense.  Why is it necessary to huddle up time and time again which just gives the defense more time to decide on what stunt they will be using on that play?  Better to keep the defense off balance and push the pace.  Eli can no doubt call as good a game as any offensive coordinator.  It’s not necessary and he is a smart guy.  Of course, if they don’t fix the offensive line soon it won’t matter either way but it seems obvious to me.

As for the Yankees, there are some interesting things going on here by Aaron Boone that you may have missed:

• He is stretching out the relievers.  Lately, Green and Robertson have gone 2 innings and 40+ pitches.  SU believes that they think Chapman won’t return and they need to find 4 innings (or more) in a playoff game out of Green, Holder, Robertson, Britten and Betances.
• Neal Walker is getting all of the pinch hit spots which means Bird won’t make the post-season roster.  As a young player, this will likely kill his confidence for ever performing well in NY which means he will be gone next year.  Now, you can say he had his chances and did not produce.  But SU says what are you going to do if Voit gets hurt in the next couple of weeks or goes on a cold streak?  Bird has some legit post-season experience and looked good in the one game he has played in 2 weeks.  He deserves a shot. Btw, Walker has done nothing of late.
• SU asks why does Stanton fly under the radar?  Relatively new SU subscriber, S. Greenberg, commented that Stanton is like A-Rod.  An overpaid superstar who underperforms in NY.  As we all know, A-Rod took a beating from the fans and the media, but no-one even comments on Stanton (other than SU of course which speaks the truth).  Stanton will get all the at bats and you know every big game will come down to him.  Perhaps Judge’s return will help – SU is not confident about that.
• The Yankees cannot score without the home run – especially with the bases loaded.  They seem to be incapable of hitting with RISP this year.  Sanchez needs to bat much lower in the order.

Question for Yankee fans: is it better to just lose in the Wild Card game or should they win and then risk getting humiliated by the Red Sox?  It’s actually a tough one.  If they lose home field for the wild card, will be a moot point.

The late, great Yogi Berra had it right for this year’s Yankees.  The wild card lead over Oakland is down to one game.  Despite a terrific regular season record, they could end up on the road for the Wild Card game in a stadium where they don’t play well.  SU, which always has its finger on the pulse of the Yankees, has some advice for Aaron Boone on how to right the ship.  Starting tomorrow:

• You have two outfielders who are past their prime: Gardner and McCutchen.  SU has never loved Gardner but he has earned the right to play most days.  And SU had already beaten the rush and started not liking McCutchen almost from day 1.  This guy is well past his prime and yet, he needs to play every day?  Why?  SU says platoon them – Gardner against righties and McCutchen against lefties.  They are both in their 30s and it will help them to stay fresh.  McCutchen is another hitter who when he gets a hit, you almost want to fall over out of shock.
• I am sorry: Stanton is overrated and I regret my posting from several weeks ago saying he was better than I thought.  At $30 million a year, he is not.  SU checked the stats last night: did you know that with RISP, he is hitting .238 with 3 home runs?  Think about that: your big slugger with RISP (which is a lot) has 3 home runs.  Did you know that Andujar has 6 and Gleyber hast 8???  Bat him 6th.  Even if he ends up with 38 home runs and 100 rbis, that is not a $30 million season for someone who is mostly a DH.  Nope.
• Many will disagree with SU on this one.  I believe Bird is ready to break out.  Last night, a double to left field and just missed a home run his first time up.  I liked having Voit DH and Bird at 1st base last night.  Go with that line up for a few games and see what happens.  You need some pop from the left side of the plate in this line up.  It is so obvious now.
• Crazy to say this but they miss Romine in the line up.  And Walker.  They have both driven in important runs during the middle part of the season.  But I know you have to play Sanchez.
• Boone should encourage/force/beg his players to hit to the opposite field.  You don’t appreciate it on TV as the broadcast doesn’t show it enough but every team shifts against every Yankee hitter.  There are gigantic holes in the infield.  If you really want to play deep into October, start now.

SU has enjoyed the season but I am losing interest now down the stretch which is very unusual.  To me, it feels like the hitters are mindless at the plate and never give a thought as to where the fielders are or how many outs there are or who is on base.  Actually, Andjuar and Torres do it.  The rookies.  And Didi as well.  But not your sluggers or your generational players.  If they lose the Wild Card game, SU will move on.  Boone will be back – not his fault – but I would get new hitting coaches.

So, is SU the only one feeling this way?  Am I too hard on a 100-win team?  Can they get hot?

As most of you know, SU is all in on the Yankees.  I watch most games when I can and this is my team.  But SU must come clean now: this current edition of the team as of September 12th is not going anywhere in October.  Let’s examine why that is the case:

• First of all, where have all the left-handed hitters gone?  Boone rolled out what might be his Wild Card game line up last night with McCutchen in right field and Stanton in left.  Now, assuming Judge is able to return which is still a big if, Judge will slide into right field or DH.  Gardner will be the odd man out it appears.  That leaves 2 left-handed hitters: Hicks and Didi.  Bird earned his way onto the bench so no argument there as Voit deserves to start.  The problem is that so many of the right-handed hitters are of the swing and miss variety led by the Generational One and Sanchez.
• Question: with RISP, who do you trust to get a hit right now?  For SU, it’s Didi, Andujar and Torres.  Never Sanchez, never Stanton, never McCutchen and maybe Hicks.  This is why the Yankees are not built for the playoffs.  They cannot hit with RISP.  Judge may help if he can play and stay in the line up but you have to figure he will be bailing out from inside fastballs along the lines of what Stanton does.
• I don’t love Gardner and his .237 batting average but he should play over McCutchen.
• Oakland is now 2 games back and with 6 games remaining against the Red Sox, the Yankees could easily be playing the Wild Card game in Oakland.  Not good.  Plus Boone is re-jiggering the rotation to try and have Severino pitch that game.  Say what?  That game is for Happ or Tanaka.  Only.

The trade for Stanton clogged up the line up with another right handed hitter.  SU may be alone in this thinking but I would trade both Sanchez and Stanton in the off-season, eat some salary and get some starting pitching or left-handed hitters who make contact and have some speed.  SU is not a believer that baseball is now just a home run hitting sport.  Not in October.

Good comments from the subscriber base about the Serena incident and long-time SU subscriber J. Levine referred readers to this column by the Hall of Famer Martina Navratilova in the “failing” (not) New York Times:

Clearly, Martina has been following SU as we think alike.  It’s been interesting to see how the initial media reaction which was very pro-Serena has now swung back to a much more balanced view which is correct in SU’s estimation.

No truth to the rumor that Eli Manning is doing wind sprints in practice this week to get ready for this Sunday’s game.  Flowers needs to go on the offensive line.  The Giants have playmakers this year but Manning needs time to throw.  Barkley is the real deal.  Meanwhile, the Jets looked great – especially on defense.  But SU feels week 1 in the NFL is never an indication of what the full season will look like – good or bad.  Make the adjustments, calm down and week 2 will be more telling.