Oakland and Boston managed to get in game two of their double header despite the rain in New England on Saturday, the Red Sox tossing a shutout 4-0. Erik Bedard and the bullpen combined to allow three hits in the game, walking five but striking out 10. David Ortiz finished a big day with three more hits, including a home run.

The sweep puts Boston ahead to the Yankees by two games, although the teams are even in the loss column (the AFILC). While teams can make up the losses, the hurricane left the teams with very different schedules down the road. With 32 days left in the season, Boston needs to play 29 more games, New York 33. The Red Sox get today and tomorrow off before hosting the Yankees, while New York plays three-games in the next two days. The Yankees may very well send Phil Hughes, A.J. Burnett and a minor league pitcher against Boston in that series.

The Yankees then return home against Toronto and Baltimore, and while they play four games in a row against the Orioles, the last of those is in Baltimore to make up the still missing game from the current series. So instead of a travel day to the west coast, the Yankees have to go to Camden Yards first. It actually might be worth it for the Yankees to offer Baltimore 100% of the gate to play that game in New York, and do a split admission double header at Yankee Stadium on the Wednesday. Others have suggested the Yankees forfeit, but if they are still in the AL East race at that point, that won’t happen.

The storm set up a very challenging schedule for the Bronx Bombers. It probably won’t keep them out of the playoffs, but it will be challenging to win the AL East. Then again, great teams should rise to challenges like this. We’ll see if New York plays for the playoffs, or guns for the division down the stretch.