BlackAmericans.com

Just when it looked like the Yankees and Red Sox were drifting into cozy familiarity, along came Jonathan Papelbon, poking a sharp stick into the cage of somnolent Yankee fans.

Robinson Canó has hit at least two hits in every game since the All-Star break, and the streaking Yankees moved to within three and a half games of the Rays with a win Tuesday.

The Yankees had little to offer Tuesday about the tenuous status of catcher Jorge Posada, who could miss the rest of the season if he needs surgery immediately on his right shoulder.

The Yankees won for the fourth game in a row, getting three home runs from a relentless offense and five and two-thirds competent innings from Sidney Ponson.

Posada’s continuing shoulder problems forced him to the disabled list for the second time on Monday.

The William Morris Agency bolstered its sports management business Monday by signing Alex Rodriguez as a client.

Is it a bad omen that the Yankees, even after a weekend sweep of the Oakland A’s moved them four and a half games behind first-place Tampa Bay, have the sixth-best record in the American League?

As satisfied as the Yankees are with José Molina’s pitching and a three-game series sweep, the specter of Jorge Posada’s injured shoulder is a festering problem.

Andy Pettitte was fast and effective for New York, dominating the A’s in eight innings, with nine strikeouts.

With the bases loaded in the 12th inning, José Molina let a just-barely-too-inside fastball from Oakland reliever Lenny DiNardo hit him in the knee.