But a team that scores more runs than any other in baseball can survive questionable starting pitching — at least during the regular season. If Mussina and Johnson win three out every four starts, the other three pitchers can pretty much break even and it will be good enough. It won’t be good enough in the playoffs, but that’s another story.

Right now, the ball is in Boston’s court, and the Red Sox have to do something to match the Yankees now-brilliant acquisition. As bad as the Yankee pitching has been, Boston’s is worse — third worst in the American League.

There are only a couple of front-line starters out there to get. A.J. Burnett of the Marlins is the best of them, but all the talk has been that the Orioles have the inside track on him. Jason Schmidt will probably be made available by the Giants, who aren’t going anywhere without Barry Bonds. And there’s always Jamie Moyer, the ancient junkballer in Seattle.

Boston has offense; David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez are one-two in the majors in RBI. But they desperately need pitching. Keith Foulke just had his knee scoped, and there’s no real proof that Curt Schilling is going to be an effective closer, not when he’s having trouble breaking 90 on the radar gun.

The Red Sox could — and should — try to land closer Eddie Guardado from Seattle. Schilling is more valuable as a starter than he is in the pen, and Guardado would liberate him. They should also go after Burnett — unless they want to keep rolling Wade Miller out to hold the opposition to five or six runs.

The Yankees were down and they took a gamble that paid off. Leiter doesn’t have to hold the opposition to one run every time out, and his record this year suggests he won’t. But he showed he can still pitch and still rise to an occasion, especially in the town he’s most loved pitching in.

The Yankees got the lift they needed, and they’ll probably do more before the trade deadline. It’s time for the Red Sox to match them, because if they do nothing, they can kiss this season goodbye.

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