Slumping Posada trying to stay positive

ARLINGTON, Texas -- After yet another 0-fer, in a season with far too many of them, Jorge Posada sought out Joe Girardi following Friday night's game.

"I told him after the game, I said thank you for sticking with me," Posada said. "Because if I'm in his shoes, I'd second guess . . . He's been very supportive."

Batting eighth Saturday night, Posada went 0-for-2 with two walks in a 7-5 loss to Texas, his average has dropped to .146 and he is hitless in his last 13 at-bats.

On Friday, Girardi gave Posada what amounted to a vote of confidence and the DH appreciated the message, which was to forget about the first month of the season and focus on a past week when he's hit the ball better, though without the results.

"I believe in Jorgie," Girardi said before the game. "I believe that Jorgie's going to hit. He's gotten off to a tough start but he's not the only one in our lineup."

Posada has had difficulty adjusting as the full-time DH, though he stressed he doesn't believe his problems have anything to do with him not being behind the plate.

"It's not about me catching," Posada said. "I feel good at the plate and I feel comfortable. And I look forward to every at-bat every day and that's a plus, but it's not happening."

Posada felt especially good Thursday in Detroit when he hit a solid ball to left and two to center.

"It's a little frustrating," Posada said. "You watch and I felt like I hit three balls hard and had nothing to show for it and it's frustrating . . . You try to stay positive but it feels really frustrating. That's all I can say right now."

Posada said hitting the ball hard gave him some degree of comfort but it got wiped away by his poor performance Friday night when he popped out, grounded into a 6-4-3 double play and struck out.

"It helps, you have two good games, you feel pretty good leaving Detroit," he said. "It's one of those things you stay positive and look at the positive stuff, but when you go 0-for, it's frustrating. I feel good at the plate and have nothing to show for it. It's not easy. It's not easy for me to look up and see what's going on."

That would be having a number starting with a "1" in front of his batting average when he steps to the plate.

Mark Teixeira understands. The first baseman has started slow more often than not in his career, but in 2010, he finished April hitting .136.

"Baseball is one of those games where you can look at so many numbers," Teixeira said before the game, "and if you look at your average and it's that bad, you don't like it."

Posada has gone through slumps before in his career, as every player has, and he said one way to deal with them is to look back on a stretch when things were going well. So far, there's been nothing this year, in his eyes, to look upon."