Yankees Looking For a Lifeline From Quicksand

"Is the airport that way?"

I don't want to hear any nonsense about a west coast jinx to explain the Yankees current five game out of control skid in the loss column. The 10 game western swing that ends today in Anaheim (You may want to be called LA, but we know where you are.) started with the Yankees taking 3 of 4 in Seattle. It's been all downhill since then. It doesn't matter that it's on the west coast; if the past five games were home games or east coast road games the results would be the same.

The team has stopped hitting and the injury bug is coming around again. Mark Teixeira left Saturday's 6-2 loss to the Angels early and was sent back to New York to have his wrist examined. An MRI showed inflammation and Tex was given a cortisone shot. The Yankees have not opted to reunite Tex with Kevin Youkilis on the DL just yet, and since they have Monday off so there is no rush to make a decision.

Two. That seems to be the number of runs the Yankees will allow themselves to get these days. With CC Sabathia in a year long struggle, the match up against Jered Weaver doesn't look so good for the finale in Cali.

Squeeze play. You remember what they look like don't you? I don't know if Joe Girardi does. Ichiro Suzuki singled and stole two bases (Poor umpiring screwed him out of a third) to put himself on third with no one out in the 7th inning and the Yankees down a run. Due up were the trio of Thomas Neal, Reid Brignac, and Chris Stewart. Not exactly an intimidating triumvirate in pinstripes. I know I wasn't the only one who thought, "This would be a great time for a squeeze."  Apparently, Girardi was not one of those on the same brain wave pattern. Instead it was one, two, three strikeouts, you're all out and Ichiro got stranded 90 feet from home plate. (You need to find ways to score Joe, think!)

Then the starter David Phelps, the defense, and the bullpen (You can already guess that Joba gave up a run) let the game get out of hand.

Lather, rinse, repeat.