Losers of their last three games, the Yankees offense sputtered on Saturday, despite Rays pitcher Chris Archer coming out of the game with just one out in the third due to forearm tightness.

Five Rays relievers finished out the game and allowed just two hits over the final 6.2 innings as the Yankees dropped Saturday’s contest, 3-0.

“It was a great opportunity for him to come out of the game and us to get into the bullpen there,” outfielder Brett Gardner said. “We weren't able to cash in like we should have been able to.”

“I think as a group, we've struggled a bit to catch our stride,” manager Aaron Boone said. “We're obviously going to hit, so it's just a matter of us collectively starting to string some good at-bats together as a group, and from there we'll take off. I know these guys are capable of doing that, but we have to start doing that together and making life difficult for the pitcher.”

Aaron Hicks, Giancarlo Stanton and Gleyber Torres made up the heart of the Yankees’ order on Saturday and combined to go 1-for-11. On the season, those three are a combined 17-for-88, good for a .193 average, while Torres has yet to knock in a run in 35 plate appearances.

“Anytime we're not clicking and doing what we're supposed to do I'm disappointed,” Gardner said. But it's obviously a long season, it's still very early. I don't like to use that as an excuse but we've got time to get things going. We've all got to find a way to put at-bats together and be tough on opposing pitchers.”

Boone isn’t panicking and expects his hitters to settle in as they play more and more games.

“These guys are grinding away and working hard,” Boone said. “It's very early in the season. You want to get into that routine and settle in, and I think early on you want it bad. To control the zone like these guys can, you really need to go in and focus on the at-bat as opposed to chasing a result. When our guys do that, they're not going to be held down.”

Their next opportunity to right the ship comes against the Rays on Sunday at 1:10 p.m.

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