Finally, looking good in pinstripes

NEW YORK -- Every now and then, the Yankees show glimpses of what they are supposed to be.

A lineup that's patient, powerful, and can beat you from leadoff man to No. 9 hitter. Relentless in the middle, on base and quick at the top, and pesky and a tough out at the bottom.

They have a young second baseman, Robinson Cano, who some predict will win a batting title some day. They have a young pitcher, Chien-Ming Wang, who won 19 games last season and seemed destined to keep performing as a No. 1 starter until a hamstring injury intervened at the start of this season. Both came up big last night.

So often, the Yankees have been the Bad News Bears this year, but last night they were the Yankees again in a 6-2 win over the Red Sox.

"For this team to succeed, I have to be at the top of my game," said leadoff hitter Johnny Damon, who reached base four times with three hits and a walk and stole two bases. "I'm feeling better. My legs are feeling better.

"We know as a team how important these games are. Every game is important when you wear a Yankee uniform."

They have won two straight, having beaten the Mets Sunday, but who knows how long this will continue? What we do know is that the wolves are away from the doors of Joe Torre and Brian Cashman.

The last two days have bought some time for Roger Clemens, who is trying to get ready sooner than planned. They have brought Yankee fans a glimmer of hope, and they brought back the cheerful obscene chants about the Red Sox at Yankee Stadium.

At some point, will the Yankees just let it all hang out? Do they reach a point where the pressure just evaporates because they've started so poorly, and anything positive is a plus?

What the Yankees would love to do is sweep the Red Sox, because that would get everyone's attention. Two out of three won't cut it. The Yankees need to go on an eight- or 10-game winning streak. Maybe a couple of them. And they need the Red Sox to go in reverse. The chances of both happening are slim, but in this crazy game, who really knows?

Last night, the Yankees showed the good things they can do:

Alex Rodriguez homered in his third straight game, his 18th blast of the season.

Jason Giambi, in a 1-for-26 slump, homered and walked twice.

Robinson Cano, batting eighth, doubled, tripled, and knocked in two runs.

Damon reached base four times at the top of the order.

Wang pitched into the seventh, allowing seven hits and two runs. And the bullpen -- Mike Myers, Brian Bruney, Scott Proctor, and Kyle Farnsworth -- lined up for 2 2/3 scoreless innings. Mariano Rivera was warming up in the ninth but wasn't needed.

Bobby Abreu, an early-season disaster, came up with a clutch single and a walk, and he made a superb throw from right field in the seventh, nearly nailing David Ortiz at second.

Damon and other Yankees have taken the approach that they need to be blind to the standings, which this morning find them 9 1/2 back. Damon has said that if the Red Sox kept playing like they had, "nobody will catch them," but the Yankees must take tiny steps before they can take large ones.

"We just have to worry about the New York Yankees," said Damon. "Go out and play hard every night. Play our kind of baseball, where we can make some things happen."

Torre thought Damon had a certain electricity last night. It seemed to filter down to everyone else. It was almost as if there was a collective thought that they were going to be the Yankees again and play to the level of their potent lineup.

They have scored at least six runs in three straight games. Last night they stole four bases, mostly because Tim Wakefield is easy to steal on, but that kind of aggressive play had been missing.

If anyone knows you can't shut the lights off on a team that's going bad, it's Damon. He was there in 2004 when the Sox were down three games to none to the Yankees and he helped bring them back to a World Series title.

"Our team is not going to give up," Damon said. "You always hear rumblings, but this team has no quit. We can get more accomplished. We know we need to win games. We have to play solid baseball. Today we played the game right."

Damon spoke about being down to 206 pounds after reporting at 218, and how it feels better being lighter. He has suffered from a bad back and sore calves and probably should have started the season on the disabled list.

He knows he must be the catalyst. Maybe now, with Wang pitching well, with Clemens returning soon, and with Mike Mussina and Andy Pettitte all capable of strong outings, there is a run to be made.

But one good game, two good games . . . that does not a turnaround make. There seems to be an immovable object in front of them: the Red Sox. The Yankees will try to push it, move it, crack it, and hope they have not waited too long.