The term grasping at straws is loosely defined as using far fetched ideas and possibilites to reach the desired conclusion. Sitting in the upper deck for the eight innings that Cliff Lee dominated the Yankees, those things might have gone through the minds of those in the stands.

At one point I noted how many foul balls the Yankees had against Lee and thought maybe the more they have the better. The answer and not that there is really any relevance was 28. It seemed logical that making that much contact that the Yankees were a few good swings from getting to him.

It seemed logical to think that when Nick Swisher fouled off five straight pitches on a full count. Then he struck out flailing at a cutter.

It seemed logcial to believe that when Mark Teixeira drew the first walk off Lee in the postseason that something good for the Yankees was going to happen. Then Alex Rodriguez lined a first-pitch cutter into left field and the fourth was over.

It seemed logical that when Brett Gardner lined a single, stole second that the Yankees were due to score at least one run or maybe even tie it up in the sixth. It seemed maybe something was going to happen when he took third on a groundout in one of those productive outs. Then Teixeira grounded out and from that point, you might have known it was not going to happen even you were sticking around to find out.

You hoped that one those pitches that stayed on the corner would cross the intersection and run into the bat and then run to some place where a fielder could not reach it.

"You could say ‘Hey, why aren’t you guys swinging at those balls? But there wasn’t much that you could do with them," Curtis Granderson said.

And there wasn't but for as much as the pressure falls on A.J. Burnett to be somewhat servicable, the offense might want to get going. After hitting .314 in the ALDS, the lineup is hitting .194 (19-for-98) with 30 strikeouts. Throw out Friday's eighth inning, the Yankees are hitting .155 (14-for-90).

So for as much as everyone is waiting to see what Burnett will do, everyone is waiting what the offense will do.

"I think collectively, we’re better than the two hits and one walk that we had tonight," Alex Rodriguez said. "We really have to take it as a personal challenge to score some runs."

The Yankees have been shutout the following 21 times in postseason play:

1921 Game Eight vs Giants - L 1-0 Art Nehf, CG, four-hitter, three strikeouts, five walks

1922 Game Three vs. Giants - L 3-0 Jack Scott, four-hitter (won next game 4-3)

1923 Game Three vs. Giants - L 1-0 Art Nehf, six-hitter (won next game 8-4) and won next three to win series

1926 Game Three at Cardinals - L 4-0, Jesse Haines, five-hitter (won next game 10-5) but lost series in seven

1942 Game Three vs. Cardinals - L 2-0, Ernie White, six-hitter (lost next two games and series)

1949 Game Two vs. Dodgers - L 1-0, Preacher Rose, six-hitter, (won next three to win series)

1955 Game Seven vs. Dodgers - L 2-0, Johnny Podres, eight-hitter

1956 Game Six at Dodgers, L 1-0 (10), Clem Labine, seven-hitter (won Game Seven, 9-0)

1957 Game Five at Braves, L 1-0, Lew Burdette, seven-hitter (won Game Six)

1957 Game Seven vs. Braves, L 5-0, Lew Burdette, seven-hitter

1958 Game Four vs. Braves, L 2-0, Warren Spahn, two-hitter (won next three games)

1962 Game Two at Giants, L 2-0, Jack Sanford, three-hitter (won next game 3-2 and series in seven)

1963 Game Three at Dodgers, L 1-0, Don Drysdale, three-hitter (lost next game and series in four)

1996 Game Two vs. Braves, L 4-0 Greg Maddux and Mark Wohlers, seven-hitter (won next four games)

2000 Game One ALCS vs. Mariners, L 2-0 Freddy Garcia, three relievers six-hitter (won next three and series in six)

2001 Game Two ALDS vs. Athletics, L 2-0 Tim Hudson and Jason Isringhausen, seven-hitter (won next three)

2001 Game Two at Diamondbacks, L 4-0 Randy Johnson three-hitter (won next three but lost series in seven)

2003 Game Six vs. Marlins, L 2-0 Josh Beckett five-hitter (series clincher)

2004 Game One ALDS vs. Twins, L 2-0 Johan Santana, Juan Rincon and Joe Nathan, nine-hitter (won next three)

2006 Game Three ALDS at Tigers, L 6-0 Kenny Rogers, Joel Zumaya and Todd Jones,five-hitter (lost series in four)

2010 Game Three ALCS vs. Rangers, L 8-0 Cliff Lee and Neftali Feliz, two-hitter (?)

In the games that were not series clinchers, the Yankees have followed up being shut out by winning 13 of 16 times. Whether that trend continues in favor for the Yankees depends on how the offense does in addition to what Burnett does or doesn't do.