Yanks start must-win set with Sox
By Amanda Comak / MLB.com

BALTIMORE -- The Yankees have seen this episode before. It's late August, and they're playing a pivotal series with the Red Sox, with the playoff race looming over everything between the two teams.

The details this time are a little different, though, as the Yankees open a three-game series with the Red Sox in New York sitting 9 1/2 games out in the American League East and five games out in the AL Wild Card. Simply put, the series is a must-win for the Yankees if they want to remain relevant in the postseason picture.

"We put ourselves in a position where every loss now is extremely tough, and I think everybody [knows] what we've got to do," said Tuesday's starter, Andy Pettitte. "We've done it to ourselves. We haven't played well, and hopefully, we can get extremely hot."

If the Yankees are going to do that, Pettitte figures to be a key part of that equation. Last season, the left-hander was 6-0 with a 2.36 ERA. He averaged seven innings per start in August and was a key component in the Yankees' charge toward the postseason.

This season, Pettitte is 13-9 with a 4.17 ERA, and he hasn't been tagged with a loss since Aug. 5, when he allowed five earned runs over five innings to the Rangers.

But there is no question that Pettitte is the tone-setter for the series with the Sox. With the Yankees avoiding Josh Beckett in the Boston rotation, Pettitte's presence on the mound can become a big advantage for New York.

"I feel like it's a must-win series," Pettitte said. "I don't necessarily feel like we need to sweep them, but I feel like we need to win the series. I really feel like we can't afford to lose any more series this year.

"I plan on going out and giving us a good start Tuesday night and giving us a chance to win," he added. "Hopefully, we can start that series off with a 'W' -- I think that'd be extremely nice. "

Pettitte is not alone with those feelings. First baseman Jason Giambi and center fielder Johnny Damon echoed Pettitte's sentiments, noting that whether the Yankees are playing for the AL East crown or the Wild Card, the first step is taking games from the teams in front of them.

"The first thing we've got to do is start moving our way up," Giambi said. "It doesn't really matter whether it be the Wild Card or the division."

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