TORONTO — It’s a good thing the Yankees believe in themselves because looking at them from the outside there is very little current evidence that indicates trouble isn’t lurking.
By now you know the depressing script: The Yankees don’t hit with runners in scoring position.
Last night at Rogers Centre the Blue Jays hung a 4-1 loss on the anemic swinging Yankees in front of 31,266.
Every failure in the clutch brings more questions. Should Joe Girardi shuffle a lineup that collectively is using wet newspapers to swing instead of wooden bats? Because Robinson Cano, Alex Rodriguez and Mark Teixeira hit in the middle of the deal are they to blame? Will it ever end? Or are the Yankees doomed in the middle of May?
“We are struggling, that pretty much sums it up,’’ said Derek Jeter, who had one of the five hits 21-year-old Drew Hutchison gave up in six innings in his sixth major league start. “It happens every year to every team, but it is something that can’t be explained. Does that cover it?’’
It will do because there isn’t an answer why the Yankees are 3-for-41 with runners in scoring position over the last five games, four of which have been losses.
Phil Hughes gave up two runs and seven hits in 5 1/3 innings and fell to 3-5. Hutchison improved to 3-1.
A 1-3 trip through Baltimore and Canada sent the Yankees home with a 20-18 record, 4 1/2 games out of first place and ready to host the Reds in three inter-league games at Yankee Stadium this weekend.
Jeter was more concerned with the slump — four runs in the past three games — than the AL East standings.
“You drive yourself crazy looking at the standings in the middle of May,’’ Jeter said. “We need to play better, but it’s way too early to be looking at the standings. We have to stay confident.’’
Going 0-for-8 in the clutch and watching the last 10 batters make out surely wasn’t a confidence booster.
Of the eight outs with runners in position to score, Teixeira made three. At least he has a possible reason for hitting .205 in the clutch since he has been battling a severe cough for more than a month. Last night TV cameras caught him bent over hacking on the field.
“I don’t know if a day off would help,’’ said Teixeira, who fanned with a runner on second in the first, stranded two in the third with a stress-free fly to right and two more in the fifth on a pop out. “Eventually it will go away. Joe [Girardi] and I will talk about it and see if a day off helps.’’
Rest couldn’t hurt. But then again, Girardi gave Rodriguez, a .176 hitter in the clutch, off last night and it didn’t help The Men Without Bats break out.
“There is no reason to worry about [last night],’’ Teixeira said. “We can go out there and score 10 runs [tonight].’’
The Yankees’ belief that this malaise won’t last forever is correct. But while it plays out, it’s hard to watch.
“Keep getting guys on and hopefully we will break out,’’ Girardi said when asked about an idea to end the skid. “Tex has been the focus but we have a lot of guys under .200 [RISP]. As a team we are not collectively getting it done.’’