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Yankees seek to halt five-game losing streak

Apr 25, 2007 - 2:42 PM Toronto (10-10) at NY Yankees (8-11) 7:05 pm EDT

BRONX, New York (Ticker) -- The New York Yankees have dropped five straight games to fall into last place in the American League East.

The Yankees send Andy Pettitte to the mound against the Toronto Blue Jays in the opener of a two-game series on Wednesday.

New York dropped three games in a row over the weekend to rival Boston and were swept in a two-game series at Tampa Bay on Monday and Tuesday.

Pitching has been the chief source of concern for the Yankees. The staff has yielded 37 runs and 62 hits in the five losses.

Pettitte (1-0, 1.78 ERA) has been the lone bright spot for New York's rotation. The veteran lefthander owns an ERA a full six runs better than Kei Igawa, the only other Yankees starter to have logged at least 18 innings.

Pettitte allowed two runs in 6 1/3 innings last Friday at Boston.

The Blue Jays, who just swept a two-game series from the Boston Red Sox, counter with A.J. Burnett. Toronto is still waiting for the talented righthander to live up to the five-year, $55 million contract he signed prior to the 2006 season.

Burnett (1-1, 5.57) yielded two runs and three hits in seven innings last Friday against Baltimore, but did not get a decision.

Yankees slugger Alex Rodriguez matched Albert Pujols' record for most homers in April with his 13th and 14th of the season in Monday's loss at Tampa Bay. Rodriguez went hitless on Tuesday for the first time this season.