Johnny Damon and the Red Sox aren't dead yet. AP

Observations on another Yankees-Red Sox epic series heading into Game 6:

•  Johnny Damon speaks the truth. Quoth the hairy one after Game 5, "We're going in there with no pressure. It's something we're not supposed to do. We're not supposed to win. The pressure's on them. They've got to play well. If not, history will be set." The man's right. The Red Sox are the right team to play under these circumstances because they always play loose. The comeback role suits them well.

•  David Ortiz is a monster of a hitter. Ortiz has moved himself among Albert Pujols, Alex Rodriguez, Manny Ramirez and a few others as one of the most dangerous hitters in the game. (Barry Bonds is in a class by himself.) The man has three walk-off hits this postseason, but what might have been most impressive was the rocket he launched off Tom Gordon in the eighth inning of Game 5 that drew Boston to within 4-3. He drove an outside pitch off a billboard above the Monster Seats in left-center field, an absolute blast of an opposite field homer. "I've got my own personal attitude and game plan," Ortiz said, "and I just bring it every time." Ortiz has one small hole: good fastballs inside above his hands. It's about an 8-by-8 inch box. Anything outside of that box is likely to get lost somewhere.

•  Hideki Matsui should have stolen third base in the 13th inning Monday. Third baseman Bill Mueller was playing Ruben Sierra in the shortstop hole, leaving the bag uncovered, and catcher Jason Varitek was whiffing on trying to catch Tim Wakefield's knuckleball. A runner on third would have put tremendous pressure on Varitek. Matsui eventually did get to third on a passed ball, but Wakefield threw only two pitches after that, striking out Sierra.

•  The Red Sox may be horribly undisciplined and a manager's nightmare, but they are mentally tough. There they were, three outs from elimination and then six outs from elimination, both times with Mariano Rivera on the mound, and they won both games. Amazing. No other team in baseball gets comfortable at-bats against Rivera the way the Red Sox do. They've seen the man way too much to be intimidated or surprised by his stuff.

•  The back half to Pedro Martinez's career is well underway. That's no big slight, because Martinez's prime was top-flight, Hall of Fame stuff. But once again his team gave him a lead in the playoffs -- this time 2-0 -- and Martinez could not bring the game home. He was gone after giving up four runs in six innings. Decent, but not ace stuff. He no longer has the top-shelf stuff to attack hitters, as evidenced in his increase in walks. Hey, Greg Maddux has had a productive, reliable back half to his career. Martinez is becoming another Maddux.

•  Dave Roberts won Game 4 with a gutsy move. Roberts stole second base on the first pitch after Rivera had thrown over to first base a couple of times. He scored on Mueller's single. It was an aggressive, risky move that paid off.

•  Tom Gordon, who has posted a 6.23 postseason ERA, has been a major disappointment for New York. Said pitching coach Mel Stottlemyre, "He's been jumpy. We need to get him settled down."

•  Ramirez should bat second and Ortiz third. OK, it sounds crazy, but why do the Red Sox keep shoe-horning Orlando Cabrera or Mark Bellhorn into a premium lineup spot? Force of habit as managers are slaves to the old "table-setters" theory. The object should be to get your best hitters to the plate as often as possible. I love the Derek Jeter-Rodriguez-Gary Sheffield-Matsui look to the Yankees lineup.

•  Varitek is the free agent the Red Sox most need to sign. The guy is a rare catcher with a quality offensive game who knows how to run a pitching staff and has a grinder's mentality.

Sports Illustrated senior writer Tom Verducci covers baseball for the magazine and is a regular contributor to SI.com.