Fanning flames

Red Sox fans who braved the atmosphere of Yankee Stadium last week for a mid-week series between Boston and New York returned from the ballpark with many a tale of uneasiness in the stands, the frustrations of a losing season causing an even more hostile atmosphere than in previous years.

Orlando Cabrera apparently felt the same way after his Angels came off a three-game sweep of the Yankees over the weekend in the Bronx.

“They don’t appreciate good baseball,” the former Red Sox shortstop told the Los Angeles Times. “They just appreciate the Yankees beating up on everybody.

“In Boston, they admire baseball. In Anaheim, those fans are some of the best in baseball. They know you care there. They know you can’t do it every day. I appreciate that.

“These people here, they’re mean. And they’re really mean to the other team.

“When we came here last year, they were in first place, so it was OK. Now they’re just looking for an excuse.

“When people say [stuff], they only motivate me. They’re bad losers.”

The Yankees, by the way, are tied with Tampa in last place in the AL East, 13 ½ games behind Boston with an increasingly meaningless weekend series upcoming for Fenway between the two rivals.