Another Knockout Game

Even during those dark days in May, Jason Giambi still believed.

The New York Yankees weren’t so sure.

Giambi’s .195 batting average stirred concern in the Bronx, and angry crowds at Yankee Stadium creatively expressed their feelings to the former star, who suffered a career downturn because of illness and the BALCO steroids scandal.

Things were so bad that the Yankees wanted Giambi out of the Big Apple, suggesting in a meeting he might benefit from time at triple-A Columbus. Giambi declined, preferring to continue working with hitting coach Don Mattingly.

Manager Joe Torre and his coaching staff hoped for the best.

They’ve been getting that lately from Giambi, who had his second multi-homer game in as many days Thursday in a 6-5 loss to the Angels at Angel Stadium.

After hitting two solo homers in Wednesday’s victory against Texas, New York’s No. 6 batter connected on Nos. 14 (a two-out solo homer in the fourth) and 15 (a two-run shot in the seventh) against Angel starter Bartolo Colon.

“The emergence of Jason Giambi has really changed the whole dynamic of the offense,” third baseman Alex Rodriguez said. “He’s just unbelievable. He really reminds me of his Oakland days, when he was only swinging at strikes, drawing his walks and hitting the ball out of the park.”

The 2000 American League most valuable player has been among the Yankees’ most productive hitters in his last 46 games, hitting .346 with 12 homers and 32 runs batted in. Overall, Giambi is batting .288 with 42 RBIs.

He has helped to stabilize a batting order in flux earlier this season, and even Yankee fans are again embracing Giambi as the team trails first-place Boston by 1 1/2 games in the American League East.

“We all know how hard he’s worked to get back to this level,” shortstop Derek Jeter said. “We’re happy for the team, but we’re also happy for him.”

And Giambi’s off-field outlook might soon brighten too. The BALCO case is moving toward conclusion without a trial, apparently meaning that Giambi, Barry Bonds, Marion Jones and other high-profile athletes will not have to testify in open court about alleged drug use.

With owner George Steinbrenner watching closely, Giambi has re-emerged as a force for the Yankees, who acknowledged they didn’t expect this.

“We hoped, but you really don’t know,” Torre said of Giambi’s turnaround. “Personality-wise, even though he put up a good front [earlier in the season], he didn’t have that spark. But his patience has paid off.”

Giambi maintained his focus on regaining top form after his name surfaced in connection with the BALCO case now apparently winding down in U.S. District Court in San Francisco. The San Francisco Chronicle reported in December that Giambi, a five-time All-Star, injected himself with human growth hormone in 2003 and also used steroids for at least three seasons, according to his grand jury testimony reviewed by the newspaper.

There were off-season media reports that the Yankees would try to terminate the remaining years of Giambi’s seven-year, $120-million contract, signed in 2001. Giambi also was still recovering from an intestinal parasite and benign tumor, which, among other physical problems, limited him to 80 games in 2004.

“I just had tunnel vision,” Giambi said. “I knew I could get back there. I just kept working as hard as I could. The support that I got from Derek Jeter and those guys ... it got to a point where that was all that mattered to me.

“Now, everybody keeps asking me, ‘Are you back?’ I don’t know if I’m back. I’m going to stay focused and keep that tunnel vision. But by no means do I think I’m out of the woods.”