Much has changed in the two months since the Yankees last faced the Red Sox, rendering Boston's 8-0 record in the season series entering Thursday night about as relevant to this weekend as Curt Schilling, Aaron Boone or Bucky Dent.
Of course, the Yankees ended that streak Thursday night, with a 13-6 rout, and there has been no more important change during the Yankees' march to first place in the AL East than the transformation of their bullpen from dithering to dominance in that span.
"Phil Hughes, simple as that," catcher Jorge Posada replied flatly when asked to pinpoint what has sparked that turnaround. "It sounds so simple, but he has meant that much to us this year."
Hughes' second bullpen appearance this season actually came in relief of Chien-Ming Wang against the Red Sox on June 10 in Boston. And he didn't fare particularly well, allowing two earned runs in 3-2/3 innings.
In 20 appearances since then, however, Hughes has established himself as a dominant setup man with a 1.05 ERA and 33 strikeouts over 25-2/3 innings, including a recent 16-appearance scoreless streak.
"We've been looking and looking for a seventh and eighth inning guy to get to (Mariano Rivera), and he's done a great job. Phil has made everybody better," Posada said. "He has taken the pressure away from all of the other guys with the job that he's doing, and that has allowed them to be more effective, too."
Indeed, Hughes isn't the only reliever deserving of credit for the bullpen's resurgence.
Expected setup man Brian Bruney has struggled to regain form following two stints on the disabled list with elbow problems. But Alfredo Aceves, despite some recent issues with a tired shoulder, is 7-1 with a 3.58 ERA in 28 games. Phil Coke (team-high 51 appearances), David Robertson and, most recently, Mark Melancon also have made unexpected contributions.
And Rivera is back to being himself following offseason shoulder surgery, converting 31 of 32 save chances for the season entering this series. That includes a current scoreless streak of 20-1/3 innings, the fourth longest of his career.
Rivera's lone blown save came in Boston on April 24 on Jason Bay's two-run homer in the ninth.
"Mo is still Mo," Posada said. "Mo right now is much stronger right now than he was in April because of the surgery. So with him and now Hughes, I think our bullpen has gone from a question to a strength."
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