Squeeze Play

What a September! The New York Yankees and New York Mets continued to head in different directions Tuesday night—the [Yanks won] for the 11th time in 13 games, and the [Mets lost](http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/recap?gameId=270918120&action=playvideo&hcmp=motion) their fifth straight—and their respective division races continued to get ever-closer.

In the Bronx, the Pinstripers resumed their late-season surge, pummeling the lowly Baltimore Orioles 12-0. Mike Mussina pitched seven scoreless innings and recorded six strikeouts in his second straight victory, and Doug Mientkiewicz belted a three-run homer for the Bombers. Meanwhile, the Red Sox continued to suffer from a severe case of larynx tightening, [dropping their third straight game] last night and seeing their division lead cut to just two and half games.

In D.C., the Mets continued to sink faster than the Titanic. Manager Willie Randolph’s club blew a 4-0 lead for the second straight night, and the Mets—who held a seven-game lead over Philadelphia in the NL East last Thursday—saw that advantage [whittled down to just two] yesterday. Ouch. If the Mets blow this lead and don’t make the playoffs this year, Randolph (pictured) might want to call his real estate agent and put his house up for sale, because he’s never going to be allowed back in this city again.