The Red Sox just completed a three game sweep of the Yanks, sit at 12-6 atop the American League East and pretty soon will add baseball’s best shortstop and a top-5 rightfielder to their lineup, plus a guy with a 1.16 career WHIP to their starting rotation.

Pardon me if I am struggling to temper my enthusiasm.

While the Red Sox play host to the Tampa Bay Devil Rays beginning tomorrow night, the Yankees face off against, in succession, Tim Hudson, Mark Mulder and Barry Zito – collectively better known as Ghidora. Amazingly, things might get better for the Sox. They have a real opportunity this week - and for the month of May really - to put some distance between themselves and the Yankees. While the Bombers cut and slash their way through a schedule laden with tilts against talented AL West foes (12 of which are on the road), the Sox play a softer combination of AL Central and AL East opponents (Tampa Bay, Cleveland, Kansas City…etc.).

If history has told us anything, it would behoove the Red Sox to take advantage of this time. Recent woes aside, the Yanks still boast a potent lineup. Furthermore, the George Steinbrenner I have grown up disdaining does not sit on his hands when things begin to go awry. Sure the Yanks lack high-level prospects but their willingness to take on a contract of any size puts them in the running for any player. It wouldn’t shock me to see Randy Johnson and Jose Vidro in pinstripes before June 1st.

Still, the Sox are a deeper, better club and lack the glaring holes that the Yanks’ roster sports.

No need to fear these guys but no need to let them up, either.