BOSTON -- The managerial playbook offered Joe Girardi a few time-tested avenues over the course of this underwhelming stretch. He offered a private pep talk to some of the struggling players, then raised his voice behind closed doors, sending tough love out to the entire group.
But in Girardi's view, the most effective way to claw out is not hidden in a wild lineup shakeup or by flipping tables in the clubhouse. Minutes after the Yankees' 8-0 loss to the Red Sox on Saturday, Girardi said that he believes his best option is to trust the bats will return to their historical norms.
"The track record tells you it's going to turn around," Girardi said. "That's what it is, and you keep hoping it's going to be the next day. So I'm not going to lose faith in them. I'm not in the business of losing faith. That's not my job. We will continue to work at it as a staff, the players will continue to work at it. We'll get it done."
Saturday's loss was the Yankees' season-high fourth straight and dropped the team to 8-14, marking the first time in the Girardi era (2008-present) that they have been six games under .500.
It was their least successful April since 1991, when Stump Merrill's club was 6-11 (.353). The performance earned the players a tongue-lashing after Friday's 4-2 loss to the Red Sox, according to ESPN New York, which cited two sources as stating that Girardi's anger could be heard in the Fenway hallway. Girardi said that if he did yell, "I wouldn't tell you."
"It's frustrating for all of us that we're going through this, but you know what? We've got to get out of it," Girardi said, "and the only way to get out of it is to keep going out there and keep working."
In breaking down Saturday's loss, Girardi said that he thought Michael Pineda battled to get through five innings, holding Boston to two runs and five hits despite not having his good command.
There were late runs that turned the game into a laugher, including four runs off rookie Johnny Barbato in his Fenway debut, but the problem once again was the offense. Girardi said that he is sure that his players are frustrated -- he'd be more upset if they weren't -- but the manager wrapped the night by issuing a clenched-jaw challenge to his roster.
"There should be enough guys who have been through this in there that you come in and say, 'Tomorrow's the day we turn this around,'" Girardi said. "You come in with the right attitude and you do your work and you say, 'It's got to stop. Let's go.'"