Last night after getting home, I figured I would just flip on the Yankee game and see what was going on, and then proceed to other things.

Forget it. This game was intense. For an hour and a half, I was on the edge of the couch while the Yankees clawed their way to a come-from-behind, 5-4 win. It was a terrifically satisfying win, featuring clutch hitting in small pieces, great fielding, and resilience after one of Mariano's rare wrinkles.

I'm not used to this. Usually the Yankees sit atop the American League East this time of the year, with playoff qualification a foregone conclusion by the end of July, and blissful coasting through September. Not this time. Just now, the Yankees moved ahead in the wild card race and are still 3 1/2 games behind the Red Sox.

Tuesday night's game broke a streak of 20-something consecutive sellouts at Yankee Stadium, and attendance will easily break 4 million this year. I don't think this is a coincidence. Each game really means something. It's drama. And it's great to have a pennant race kept tight because the teams are winning. Looks like we're in for September baseball as it oughta be.