BUMMING

John Thomson 3-hit the Yanks yesterday at the Stadium, as the Rangers swept a series for the first time ever in the Bronx. Thomson was nasty, but the Yankees were lifeless as well. Bernie Williams hit into a first inning double play in all three games, Jason Giambi continues to hear the boo's, and Jorge Posada went 2-17 on the homestand (the Yanks were 1-5 over that span). Plain and simple, the Yankees are mired in a slump. I guess this won't be1998-redux after all. Think Mt. Saint George is about to blow in Tampa?

After the game, GM Brian Cashman didn't mince words:

"In a nutshell, we stink right now."

..."[We stink] really in all aspects," Cashman continued. "Both mentally and performance-wise on the offense, defense and pitching sides.

"We look flat. That's how you look when you're not playing well, when you're making errors, when you're not hitting. I think people describe it as flat. You can describe it any way you want, but it's not good."

..."Maybe going into the jungle will shock us back into playing good baseball," GM Brian Cashman said. "Maybe that's what we need because we look real flat right now.

...Cashman has also heard from George Steinbrenner, who, according to the GM, "feels the way you'd think he would feel" about the way his $180 million team is playing.

The Red Sox beat the Angels yesterday at the Fens, and now share first place with the Yankees. Let the rivalry begin (again). Pass the Pepto.

Here is my question: which Giambi will have a game-winning or game-altering hit first?