Bronx, N.Y., April 29, 2005 — Just when the Yankee offense is stumbling around and in need of a positive outing, the expected pitching duel between Randy Johnson and Roy Halladay fully materialized in Yankee Stadium last night. The Jays were rolling after a sweep of Tampa at home, while the Yankees had scratched just one run in each game of back-to-back losses to Anaheim (sorry, that’s what I’m calling them) after a win behind Alex Rodriguez’s three-home run outburst. In both of the losses, the home-standing Bombers ran themselves out of an early score, and the offense fizzled. Continue reading →

Bronx, N.Y., April 24, 2005 — The skies Sunday in the Bronx approximated the condition of the team. The sun shone brightly for part of the afternoon, and the Yankees cranked out an impressive 11-1 win over Texas. But overall the weather was cool with big clouds thrown in, and hometown innings of four, three, and three runs could not cancel out the pitching and hitting failings of the prior two days, or the unsettled state of the Yankee starting rotation. Continue reading →

Bronx, N.Y., April 18, 2005 — The Yankees crawled back into New York for a Monday game against the Devil Rays, traveling north from a ballpark that has been a second home. But this most recent trip to Camden Yards resulted in three painful losses in what had become a four-game skid. Their owner had grumbled angrily in public, fans who had booed a sure Hall of Famer in the season’s third game were furious at the 4-8 record, and even Manager Joe Torre sounded embarrassed when discussing the quality of his team’s play. Continue reading →