Ah, I’ve been waiting weeks for this fortnight of the baseball season.

Red Sox vs. Yankees.

Good vs. Evil.

Right vs. Wrong.

The two teams tied for first place in the A.L. East wrapped up the first of two series last night in a stretch of six games against each other in 10 days.

The Yankees took the series opener, sprinting out to a five-run lead in the first and never looked back. The Red Sox answered with a 10-run explosion Tuesday night, including a five-run beating of rookie Jose Contreras, who turned down the Red Sox for the Yankees. The rubber match was played last night and was set to be the emotional battle of the series.

Roger Clemens, Red Sox ace of seasons past, was returning to the Fens to seek his 299th career victory (having lost the opportunity to get No. 300 in Boston after losing last week in Texas).

The fireballer was released by the Red Sox after the 1996 season when then-GM Dan Duquette proclaimed him to be in “the twilight of his career.”

He went on to win three Cy Youngs and two World Series.

We should all have such twilights.

But such is life for a Red Sox fan. It burns. Granted, the Olde Towne Team has had their revenge on Clemens since then, from time to time.

They roughed him up in the 1999 ALCS, when he was knocked out of Game 3 and rabid fans tore down the banner hung on the outfield fence commemorating his 20-strikeout game against the Mariners so many years ago.

I remember the first time I saw Roger Clemens pitch — I was nine years old. It was October 10, 1990. I was in the Bay Area visiting my aunt and uncle and the Red Sox were playing the Athletics in the ALCS.

My uncle got tickets to Game 4, with the Red Sox down three games to none. We rode the BART to the Coliseum and made our way to the seats, proudly sporting all the Red Sox gear we had.

Clemens, unfortunately, blew up. Not like “blew up the spot,” but more just like “blew his top.” He didn’t have great stuff and got in such a heated argument over a call that he cursed at home plate umpire Terry Cooney and was thrown out of the game. Not exactly the best first impression.

My uncle had gotten the seats for the game from his office, great seats right behind the Boston dugout. As Clemens and Cooney stomped angrily away from the mound and towards the dugout, my 9-year-old ears learned all sorts of new words (Both from Clemens and from the rabid Oakland fans that surrounded us).

My team was going down and my favorite player was out of the game (Not to mention the fact that he would later be suspended for the first five games of the next season as well).

Boston lost the game 3-1 and Oakland went on to their third straight World Series.

See, I told you — it burns.

Of course Boston took him back — he was too good not to. In February of 1991 they signed him to a new deal that made him the highest-paid player in baseball, averaging just over $5,000,000 a year. Clemens responded by winning his third Cy Young.

But over the next few seasons his stats came down — he spent more time on the disabled list, his ERA rose, he seemed to have lost something.

And so, in 1996, Boston made it clear they wouldn’t re-sign the Rocket.

Looking back, Boston should have seen a premonition of what was to come in the second half of that season — Clemens went 6-2 with an ERA just over two and tied his own major league record by striking out 20 batters in one game on Sep. 18.

But no — he left. Went to Toronto to spend his “twilight” - and promptly won his first 11 starts with nine complete games and three shutouts.

Cue the violins.

Boston never forgave him.

Clemens did get the win last night — No. 299. He scattered nine hits over six innings, giving up two earned runs and striking out seven. Bastard.

But oh, what a tangled web the fates weave — Clemens’ next start will come on Memorial Day, when the Yankees opponent is, yes, the Red Sox. He gets another chance for win No. 300 against his old team while the entire city of Boston gets another chance for revenge.

I can’t wait.

Matt Babin is a senior majoring in economics and Italian who thinks the Yankees suck and that Clemens will get lit up for six runs in two innings on Monday. Email him at babin@stanford.edu.