Yanks meet to remind themselves 'who we are' after 3rd straight shutout

NEW YORK – A third contest spent grinding bat handles into sawdust prompted the Yankees to gather as a group late on Tuesday.

It wasn’t quite a team meeting, but more of a reminder -- they’re still the same lineup that has produced some of the American League’s biggest numbers, and they expect to do so again.

The Yankees were blanked for a third consecutive game, watching their team scoreless streak extend to 29 innings in a 4-0 loss to the Angels at Yankee Stadium. New York has lost a season-high five straight.

“There’s always a certain point where it’s not necessarily going your way, and you feel it,” said outfielder Cody Bellinger. “You feel extra pressure to get the job done. At the end of the day, it’s the same. We had good conversations.”

What did they discuss? Bellinger summarized the brief chat as “remembering who we are and continuing to stick with our approach.”

Yankees manager Aaron Boone said his club’s at-bats have been lacking weight: “Maybe they’re feeling like they’ve got to get something going. We’ve got to let it happen. We’ve got to go out, really focus on having quality at-bats, and that will happen. We’ll get there.”

It’s the first time since September 2016 that the Bombers have been unable to push across a run in three straight. Their last run came on Saturday at Fenway Park, when Anthony Volpe notched a ninth-inning RBI groundout.

“I just don’t think it’s clicked together,” catcher Austin Wells said. “I think we’ve had good at-bats sprinkled in every time through the lineup, but just not consecutively.”

Boone’s club has been playing from behind for the better part of a week; its last lead was held on Thursday at Kansas City, a 1-0 victory over the Royals. Yet they still pace the AL in runs (370), total bases (1,093), homers (109), RBIs (356), walks (286) and OPS (.784).

“That’s what we are. We are one of the best offenses in the league,” Boone said. “We’ve had a tough few days.”

Kyle Hendricks was the latest to take advantage, striking out nine over six scoreless innings. Aaron Judge was once again kept quiet; Hendricks struck him out in the first and sixth innings, part of an 0-for-4, three-strikeout night for the captain.

Describing his game plan against Judge, Hendricks said: “Just don't throw anything over the middle, that's for sure.”

Hendricks said he “got lucky” in inducing Judge to chase a pair of fastballs. Judge has acknowledged expanding the zone in recent contests, and he is 2-for-20 with 13 strikeouts in his past six games.

“No one is more capable of getting right back on track than him,” Boone said.

The Yanks managed four hits off Hendricks and none off the bullpen. Bellinger’s first-inning double was their only extra-base knock.

“It’s a little rut we’re in, and we’ve got to get out of it,” Bellinger said. “Good teams get out of it. I’ve got full confidence in the guys in here. We have such a talented team. We’ve just got to keep on going.”

The punchless performance wasted a sharp outing from rookie right-hander Will Warren, who showcased his swing-and-miss stuff while registering a career-high 11 strikeouts.

Warren is the third Yankees rookie to post 11 strikeouts without a walk, joining Stan Bahnsen (1968 at Boston) and Chad Green (2016 vs. Toronto).

“I thought it was the best he’s commanded his fastball,” Wells said. “He was really painting the four-seam up and sinker back-door. Eleven strikeouts, that’s a big deal.”

The Angels’ damage off Warren came on a couple of plays that arguably could have been made.

Luis Rengifo had a second-inning RBI single that scooted past second baseman DJ LeMahieu; Boone described it as a “tough chance, one that he almost got to.” Taylor Ward added a two-run single in the third, a liner that ticked off Jazz Chisholm Jr.’s glove at third base.

Warren finished strong, retiring the final 11 Angels he faced. His 93rd and final pitch was a sinker that nicked the outside corner, freezing Logan O’Hoppe looking. Warren said the pitching staff will keep doing its part while the bats work through this rough patch.

“We just kind of talked about it; early on, the offense carried us,” Warren said. “That’s what makes us a team. You’re going to go through these ebbs and flows of the season. We’d rather have that right now than come postseason.”