I'm not sure what a season spinning down the toilet looks like, but the Yankees are doing a great job of fleshing it out for me.

The Oakland A's belted three homers and allowed only 1 hit as they blanked the Yanks 7-0 in the Bronx.  The Bombers haven't scored a run since putting up a two spot in the first inning on Friday night.  This was a hard game to watch.  I felt like the Yankees were holding me hostage with the way they played.

The Good:

Johnny Damon.  Damon laced a clean single up the middle with one out in the bottom of the sixth to break up Chad Gaudin's no-hitter.  The hit turned a potential historic loss into just a frustrating one.  Way to go, Johnny!  Damon finished 1 for 3 with a walk.

The Bad:

Kei Igawa.  Igawa looked good for 2.2 innings, but then gave up a line drive homer to Jason Kendall.  No biggie, right?  Well, Igawa lost it after giving up the dinger.  Shannon Stewart made it back-to-back homers in the inning and then Igawa walked the next two batters.  He worked out of that jam, but you could see that his confidence was wrecked.  It seems like Igawa falls apart at the slightest hint of adversity.  He's also allowed 11 homers in 41.2 innings this season.  Igawa dropped to 2-2 with this:  6.1 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 3 BB, 4 K, 3 HR.

Scott Proctor.  Proctor entered the game with the Yanks down 4-0 and almost immediately extinguished any hope of a Yankee comeback.  Here's how it happened: single, single, fly out, double, 6-0 A's, hit the showers.  Mike Myers came in and gave up the final run to complete Proctor's ledger.  Proctor has been horrible lately and has given up runs in his last four appearances.  Not Good.  Proctor's totals: .1 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 0 BB, 0 K.

The Ugly:

Home field advantage?  Yankee Stadium was as quiet as a tomb on Saturday afternoon.  Sure, there was nothing to cheer about, but the silence started in the third inning with the Yanks down only 2-0.  It's almost as if the fans realize that the season is beginning to slip away.  When the YES cameras showed Oakland manager Bob Geren in the dugout, I felt like I was pulled back in time to 1990 when Geren was the Yankee catcher.  Those were the dark times and the vibe at The Stadium on Saturday felt eerily similar.

It doesn't get any easier for the offensively-challenged Yankees on Sunday as the A's send the major's ERA leader Dan Haren to the hill.  Haren is having a remarkable season (9-2, 1.91 ERA) and is 3-0 in his career against the Yanks with a 2.76 ERA.  The Yanks will send Andy Pettitte to the mound who should be used to minimal run support this season.

Maybe a change to a new month will flip the switch.

Yanks Edge A's

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Giants Runover Yankees

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Winning Streak Dies at Nine

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Yankees Coast to Crazy Eighth in a Row

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Winning Streak Reaches Lucky 7

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Wang Grounds Pale Hose

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Yankee Bats Clip ChiSox

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Ninth Inning Rally Falls Short

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A-Rod Delivers and Rivera Slams the Door

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Mississippi Meltdown

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Sparks Fly as Yanks Spank Sox

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