And that concludes the first half

The final game of the first half of the season was emblematic of the first half as a whole. Mediocre starting pitching and no offense.

The Yankees were two outs away from getting shut out for the seventh time this season. Jason Giambi, mired in a 1-for-22 slump, went 2-for-4 with a home run in the ninth. With that run, the Yankees avoided a second complete game shutout in this series.

However, a loss is a loss, and the Yankees concluded the first half with a record of 50-45. The Rays have been struggling, as they head into the All-Star break on a seven-game losing streak. The Yankees' record over that time is 3-3.

Boston is now in first place, a half-game ahead of Tampa Bay and six games ahead of the Yankees.

At the All-Star break last season, the Yankees were 43-43 and nine games behind first-place Boston. Through 95 games last season, the Yankees were 49-46 and 7.5 games behind Boston.

The 2007 Yankees showed fight and had comeback ability. They also had a 19-game winner and a future hall of famer in the rotation. This year's team does not. It'll be interesting to see if they have a comeback in them.