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Yankees hope to bounce back after team meeting

Jul 4, 2008 - 12:56 PM Boston (51-37) at New York (45-41) 1:05 p.m. EDT

BRONX, New York (Ticker) -- New York Yankees manager Joe Girardi is fed up with losing.

Girardi hopes his closed-door meeting can lead to a win when the Yankees continue a four-game series against the rival Boston Red Sox on Friday.

Following Thursday's 7-0 loss in the series opener, Girardi decided to address his frustration during a 33-minute team meeting of which he did not provide any details during his postgame news conference.

"That's between my team and me," Girardi said. "We did not play a good game. We didn't do anything. We didn't hit, we didn't pitch. We did not play a good game.

"We're not where we want to be and we have to start winning a lot of games."

The Yankees have scored four runs in their last four losses and Thursday's setback came after an 18-run outburst on Wednesday.

New York struggled during the opener, logging just five hits against Red Sox starter Jon Lester. New York trailed, 4-0, before Melky Cabrera registered the Yankees first hit - a single - in the third inning. The Yankees fell behind 6-0 before Robinson Cano's single in the fifth and mustered just seven baserunners during the contest.

"Every loss I hate to lose and it bothers me when we lose games," Girardi said. "You're not going to win 162 and I understand that, but we are not where we should be and I am not happy and the players aren't happy."

However, New York will have a tough time turning around their dismal offense against Friday's starter, staff ace Josh Beckett (7-5, 3.65 ERA).

Beckett has allowed a total of four runs over his last three starts and has won three straight outings against the Yankees, posting a 2-0 record and 3.68 ERA against them in two games this year.

Darrell Rasner (4-6, 4.42), who is 1-6 with a 5.68 ERA in his previous seven starts, counters for the Yankees.