For the seventh time in nine tries this season, the Yankees defeated the Blue Jays tonight, with an 8-4 win in the Skydome. With the win, they swept the two game series, and finished a nine game road trip 5-4.

Johnny Damon went 3 for 5 and hit a solo homerun, his 19th, and had three RBI's. Nick Swisher also connected on his 18th homerun of the season, a towering shot to left that tied the game at three in the seventh inning.

Early in this game it looked as if the Yankees would be in trouble. Sergio Mitre was once again awful, allowing three earned runs and ten base runners in four and 1/3 innings. He threw 92 pitches, in what was likely his last start for awhile. The bullpen did a great job tonight bailing Mitre out. Alfredo Aceves came on in relief, and threw two great innings, with the lone blip on the radar a solo homerun he allowed to Marco Scutaro in the seventh. Phil Coke, Phil Hughes, and David Robertson combined for two 2/3 innings of no run ball, with five strikeouts and no walks.

This game was won in the seventh inning, when the Yankees plated four runs against the Blue Jays bullpen. Trailing 3-2, Swisher led off with his bomb to right. Robinson Cano then doubled, and was brought home later off a Hideki Matsui single. Runs three and four came off of back to back singles from Damon and Mark Teixeira.

Damon's homerun came in the ninth, and was very important because it took a save opportunity away from Mariano Rivera, giving him another day to rest before the Red Sox series this weekend. Coke also threw just seven pitches tonight, so assuming Joba can go seven innings tomorrow, Coke would pitch the eighth to setup Rivera in the ninth. Hughes also only threw 25 pitches, so depending on the matchups Girardi may throw him out there for the eighth.

Now for the main event. The Yankees, holders of the best record in the American League (65-42), return home riding a three game win streak to take on their rivals, the Boston Red Sox. Boston has dropped its last two games to Tampa Bay, and come into the series 2 1/2 games behind New York. Here are the matchups for the four game series:

Game one: J. Chamberlain (7-2 3.58 ERA) vs. John Smoltz (2-4 7.12 ERA)
Game two: A.J Burnett (10-5 3.89 ERA) vs. Josh Beckett (13-4 3.27 ERA)
Game three: C.C Sabathia (11-7 3.95 ERA) vs. Clay Buchholz (1-1 6.05 ERA)
Game four: Andy Pettitte (9-6 4.35 ERA) vs. Jon Lester (9-7 3.79 ERA)

The Yankees are 0-8 against the Red Sox this year. It's time for some revenge, and a lot of it. If the Yankees win this series, they get the monkey off their back, and become the favorites to win the pennant. My money says they do, winning three of the four games.

(AP Photo/Frank Gunn)