Teams often talk about things clicking, but when it comes to the Yankees these days, they're ticking -- moving through the season with clocklike consistency, little drama, and a firmer and firmer hold on the AL East.
Last night's 4-3 win over the Orioles was no different. The Yankees came into the contest 41/2 games ahead in the division and their victory ensured a fifth straight series win. So even in moments like the third, when Ivan Nova allowed a two-run home run, everything seemed thoroughly under control.
Mark Teixeira blasted a two-run homer in the first and Alex Rodriguez hit a fifth-inning bomb over the visitors' bullpen as the Yankees continued to hit just enough and pitch well enough to make even a victory over a divisional opponent seem like a ho-hum affair.