MLB

NOT ONLY ARE YANKS UP, RIVALS ARE ALL DROPPING

MAYBE life could be better for the Yankees than it is right now. But please send in postcards to explain how.

HARDBALL BLOG

SHERMAN ON TWITTER

Humiliating the Red Sox is usually enough to turn the Bronx into nirvana. But the latest version of a Boston Massacre is just one slice of the Yankees’ current heaven.

Let us count the ways: The Mets stink. The Joe Torre Dodgers are faltering, and so are the Yankee-tormenting Angels. A few weeks ago it was inconceivable that the AL playoffs could be held without both the Angels and Red Sox. But now the Rangers are within 3½ games of the Angels and are tied with Boston for the wild card lead.

BOX SCORE

A-ROD FEELS FANS’ LOVE

PETTITTE PITCHING LIKE OLD SELF

SOX ROOOKIE HIT HARD

BOMBERS UP 6 1/2

DAMON & TEX A 1-2 PUNCH

GIRARDI KEEPS MITRE FAITH

BOSOX’S LOST WEEKEND

HUGHES GETS NIGHT OFF

The Yankees now have the biggest division lead in the majors (6½ games) and are the only team playing better than .600. It is not quite as loud or claustrophobic as the old place, but suddenly the new Stadium is throaty and providing a home-field advantage to the Yankees. The starter the Yanks didn’t acquire at the deadline because of the high prospect price, Jarrod Washburn, has given up 11 runs in 11 1/3 since being dealt to Detroit. Meanwhile, the Yankee starting pitchers just stopped giving up runs.

And what can we say about the state of the Yankees’ mix of confidence and talent that cannot be summed up by this fact: In the past eight days, they have won games started against them by Mark Buehrle, Doc Halladay, Josh Beckett and Jon Lester.

“Right now we feel we have a special club,” Andy Pettitte said.

For the Yankees, the good vibes mostly come from the current state of the Rivalry. They are again the lead dogs in this matchup. Which is staggering since Boston won the first eight meetings this year. But that was then, and this is now.

And at this moment they appear to have advantages over Boston in perhaps every phase. That was evident in a four-game sweep forged both emphatically and dramatically. There was a moment of unease last night when Victor Martinez hit a two-run homer off Phil Coke to provide the Red Sox with their first runs in 31 innings, their first extra-base hits since the fourth inning Thursday and — most important — a 2-1 lead in the eighth. The Yanks had won the first three games of this series and seemed in control, and suddenly were behind in Game 4. It had earmarks of the 2004 ALCS, when the Yanks went from total control to utter despair.

However, the game shifted one last time in the bottom of the inning. Throwing mainly 98-99 mph fastballs, rookie Daniel Bard registered the first two outs. But then within three pitches Johnny Damon and Mark Teixeira homered to restore the Yankee lead, and Nick Swisher delivered a two-run single later on. That unleashed chants of “sweep, sweep” as the Yanks closed out a 5-2 triumph.

“We had a great series,” Pettitte said. “We separated ourselves from them a little.”

What will be remembered mostly from this series was how the Yankees pitched, specifically in winning Friday and yesterday. Those were the games started by Beckett and Lester. They combined to yield one run in 14 innings, and yet the Red Sox won neither game. That is because the Yanks revived the formula that used to enable them to beat Boston even in Pedro Martinez’s prime: Yankee starters matched the Boston excellence with A.J. Burnett (Friday) and Pettitte (last night) combining for 14 2/3 shutout innings. And then the Yanks unleashed more clutch at-bats late. A-Rod delivered a two-run, walkoff homer Friday. He also homered yesterday before the even bigger blows by Damon and Teixeira.

“That was encouraging because this is an atmosphere like the playoffs,” Joe Girardi said.

Clearly the Yankees are soaring toward the postseason now while doing damage to the Red Sox’s October plans. Maybe life could be better in the Yanks’ corner of the Bronx. Again, send postcards to explain how.

joel.sherman@nypost.com