Every game the Red Sox play these days seems to be the one that will define the rest of their season. Yesterday, the Sox came back to win with a six run ninth against the Phillies.

Of course all the heroics, topped by Trot Nixon’s grand slam off Turk Wendell, were set up by the Boston bullpen, which once again proved that on a day to day basis it cannot hold a lead.

Mike Timlin, Scott Sauerbeck (it may be time to worry about him), and Alan Embree simply were awful at crunch time. Only Byung Hyun Kim seemed to have his stuff Monday and you now how he has pitched lately.

Damian Jackson who pinch ran for David Ortiz in the eighth inning, came up with a big single to keep the budding rally alive in the ninth. It looked like Grady Little had outmanuvered himself, but Jackson a low .230s hitter got the hit to keep things cooking.

Jose Mesa became unglued and it got uglier for the Phillies from there.

Today it is on to Chicago where John Burkett and Bartolo Colon recreate their matchup of June 17th, when the Red Sox beat Chicago 7-4.

The Cubs got the pitching performance from ace Mark Prior that they were looking for yesterday. Prior’s pitches seem to float through the strike zone effortlessly, but are untouched by the hitters. He struck Albert Pujols out on an untouchable pitch.

Sammy Sosa came up with a big base running play, going from first to third on Jim Edmonds, who seemed to hold on to the ball too long. I said last week that Edmonds likes to grandstand from time to time, and this time it hurt his team as the run that Sosa scored got things rolling for the Cubs. Otherwise, Edmonds is the best overall centerfielder in the game today.

Today it’s Jason Simontacchi and Matt Morris against Carlos Zambrano and Kerry Wood. Does it get any better than this in September?

Only if this was the last weekend of the season.

Click below for more!The A’s and Seattle duplicate last weeks games against the Orioles and Tampa Bay.

Barry Zito goes against Pat Hentgen in Camden Yards. The other Zambrano (Victor) faces Joel Pineiro (what’s wrong with him) in the JuiceDome.

With so much time left in the season, these three teams (A’s, Sox, and Seattle) will continue to go neck and neck until the last weekend.

This is the week the A’s hope to open some ground because starting next Monday it is back to division play and the teams in the West aren’t pushovers.

The A’s have won 22 of their last 28 games versus righthanded starters. Hentgen is a righty, Rodrigo Lopez is too, but Eric Dubose Thursday’s starter for Baltimore throws from the left side.

Zito was terrific last week and the Orioles don’t hit much, so four runs of support should do it tonight for the lefty.

Houston got six RBI’s from Jeff Kent and walloped the Dodgers. When is Roy Oswalt coming back for the Astros?

KC and Minnesota both lost ground to the White Sox Monday. Today, Paul Abbott is back on the hill for the Royals, he is a pro and I expect a decent six innings from him even though Texas smokes the ball in Arlington.

Minnesota looks to Kyle Lohse in a game they need against Aaron Sele and Anaheim. The Angels bullpen can never be overlooked if they get a lead late in the game. Something for the A’s and the Mariners to keep in mind.

Joe Torre said David Wells pitched decently yesterday. If seven innings, nine hits, and five runs is decent, then the Yanks are in trouble.

There must be something wrong with Jason Giambi if he is hitting .251 in September. Either his swing is messed up or he is hurt, but this guy doesn’t go 0-24 unless there is a good explanation.

Dontrelle Willis back on the hill today against the Pirates in Miami. Please get him out after five and save his arm.

Time to carefully watch Atlanta’s Mike Hampton and see if he really is all the way back.

Tim Redding has been a little inconsistent lately, he goes against LA tonight for Houston who will be scoreboard watching the games in Chicago.

Anyone notice the logjam of hitters atop the AL leaderboard. You tell me the last time it looked like a batting champion in the AL would have a mark less than .330.

Yaz hit .301 in 1968 to lead the league and in today’s game these marks are almost as shocking. My money is on Nomar or Garret Anderson.

Good Labor Day baseball, maybe the best day I’ve seen in some time, a harbinger of things to come over these last 25 games or so.

I think so!