At this point, they're not so much games as they are endurance tests - four hours (or more) of grueling competition that leave players both physically and mentally drained.
There are Baseball games and then there are the modern-day tong wars between the Red Sox and Yankees. The first two games of this season series between the two rivals took exactly 4 hours, 21 minutes each, setting the tone for the 16 to follow, including last night's, which took 3:09 despite only five runs being scored in a 4-1 Sox win. The marathons aren't just won or lost; they're survived.
``I feel it,'' manager said Terry Francona of the effect the games take, ``so I'm sure the players do. It's never-ending, for both teams.''
``Physically, they're tough because they're all about four-and-a-half hours long,'' Yanks shortstop Derek Jeter said. ``It's a fun atmosphere, but we just seem to take forever.''
Added Sox catcher Jason Varitek: ``I don't know what it is, but it's somehow a different dynamic. I think we could play a 2-1 game and it would still take four hours.''
During games, players get caught up in the intensity of the moment and the spirit of the competition. But later, there's a price to be paid, and early-season games in April can make the body (and mind) believe that it's actually August.
``It seemed that way (Saturday) night,'' Francona said. ``We beat up on each other; we always do. Every pitch means so much. It can wear on you.''
By now, the reasons behind the longer game times have been well-documented. Because the teams frequently play on national TV - as they did Saturday and again last night - the breaks between innings are longer.
Beyond that, the patented patient approach both teams take at the plate tend to lead to longer at-bats, which, in turn, result in more pitching changes, which are themselves more time-consuming.
But as demanding as the games are in the moment, the real test often comes the day or two after, when the adrenaline has worn off but the schedule continues. Following last night's game, the Sox flew to Cleveland and weren't expected to reach their hotel until after 4 a.m this morning, 15 hours before the start of a three-game series with the Indians.
Tonight is when the wear-and-tear of the three-game weekend series will kick in, and Francona will rely on his coaching staff to set a high energy level before the opener with the Indians.
``You're not only playing a good team now,'' Francona said last night, ``but you're right back at it the next day. It's not a hangover, but you're tired. It's hard.''
Added Dustin Pedroia: ``At the end of a series (with the Yankees) you kind of take a deep breath and find yourself having to get focused on the next one because the last three (games) are so draining. They're definitely different and they take a lot out of you.
``We have to come out (tonight) and play with the same amount of energy as we did against the Yankees. And everyone here understands that.''
With the Sox off for Cleveland and the Yankees set to travel to Detroit, it won't be long before the teams square off a week from tonight in the Bronx. By then, perhaps, both will have recovered from the three they just completed.
``You look forward to these,'' maintained Varitek. ``You really do.'' - smcadam@bostonherald.com
