He may be a Dominican in his heart, but Alex Rodriguez officially became a Yankee Thursday night. His game-winning two-run homer off ersatz Red Sox reliever Curt Schilling was the kind of dramatic blow Yankees fans have been waiting for since the $25 Million Man donned pinstripes in 2004. But for Yankees haters (of which I count myself) it was the latest in a series of foreboding signs that the AL East is fast returning to business as usual: the Yankees, moving within 1 ? games of the lead, making their inexorable push toward the top, and the Red Sox making their inexorable push toward wild-card status. Not quite a full year ago, July 24 to be exact, Sox catcher Jason Varitek stuck his glove in A-Rod?s face, a benches-clearing brawl ensued, and the Sox scored a thrilling come-from-behind win to turn their season around and begin their march to the World Series. Last night, it was the Yankees who wiped out deficits of 4-0, 5-3, and 6-5. Their comeback started with home runs from two guys most people thought weren?t just over the hill, but waiting at the bottom of it: Jason Giambi and Bernie Williams. It was finished by the man who was vilified in last year?s ALCS for a glove-slapping incident that wouldn?t fly in Little League, possibly the most reviled Yankee in Boston since Bucky Dent. How painful must it have been for Red Sox fans to see their Series hero, Schilling, walk to the mound in the 9th inning hoping to be the next John Smoltz, but pitching like the next Matt Mantei? For the first time, the 38 year-old Schilling showed his age in the same way Randy Johnson has for the Yankees. Johnson, however, has been an everyday pitcher, and has at least showed flashes of his old brilliance. There?s no telling how long it will take Schilling to round into form, and it?s unfair to judge him on one performance. But while everyone assumes the Yankees pitching deficiencies will be their ultimate demise, it?s the Red Sox who ought to be worried. Their staff ERA of 4.88 is a lot worse than the Yankees? 4.57. Outside of Matt Clement (10-2), their remaining three starters are 23-20, with the lowest ERA being Tim Wakefield?s 4.05. If Schilling can?t resume his role as staff ace, the Red Sox will be dependent on an aging party boy (David Wells, 6-5, 5.00), a National League import who hasn?t yet made the transition (Wade Miller , 2-3, 5.03) and a young pitcher who may have a more promising career as a rock star (Bronson Arroyo, 7-5, 4.21) to carry them in September. And if the injured and personally distracted Keith Foulke can?t resume his role as bullpen ace, the Sox will not only lose the division race, but will most likely surrender the wild card to the Twins or the Indians. The Yankees, in contrast, are looking forward to the return of Carl Pavano, Jaret Wright, and Kevin Brown, pitchers who, if nothing else, will be fresh in the last two months of the season, if not effective. Yankee haters, who used to dread the July 31 trading deadline because of who George Steinbrenner would steal for the stretch run, aren?t as afraid now that Red Sox GM Theo Epstein has become as savvy as his New York counterpart, Brian Cashman. Last year, the Red Sox salvaged their season on July 31 by trading Nomar Garciaparra and adding Orlando Cabrera and Doug Mentkiewicz, shoring up a porous defense and building what became the last blocks of a championship team. The Yankees, unable to land Randy Johnson, settled for Esteban Loaiza, who pitched himself right out of a post-season roster spot. Most baseball fans?at least those who aren?t sick to death by now of hearing about the Yankees-Red Sox rivalry- dream of Schilling facing Johnson in Game 1 of this year?s ALCS. But if both teams are going to make their third trip in a row to the championship series, they?ll need one more pitcher to put them over the top. The Yankees don?t ever want to be stuck having Kevin Brown as their last option for Game 7, and the Red Sox may not want to have their hopes riding on David Wells remembering that he?s a big-game pitcher in the post-season. Which makes July 31 the most important date on the calendar, once again, for Yankee fans and Yankee haters.