"Yankees officials admit they're baffled by the slow, insidious decline in Robinson Cano's production numbers this year - a drop-off that could very well be linked to Alex Rodriguez's own struggle to drive in runs.

Cano keeps hearing from hitting instructor Kevin Long about the virtue of patience and pitch identification. Cano knows he's only helping opposing pitchers by continuing to expand the strike zone. The second baseman said the other day, "I'm trying, I'm trying" to regain his 2010 discipline - and it's possible a solo homer off Felix Hernandez in the second inning Saturday night represented a breakthrough.

But, prior to the blast, Cano was 5-of-27 (.185), which had dropped his average to .273 - 34 points below his career norm.

So what's wrong? Joe Girardi says, "I think [Cano] is searching a little bit," although one major league talent evaluator believes it's A-Rod's decline that indirectly has impacted Cano, who bats behind him in the No. 5 spot.

"Whatever's going on with Alex (.225 with runners in scoring position entering Saturday) you can see Cano trying to pick up the slack, like he's putting it all on himself," said the scout, who wasn't flattering Cano when he added, "he's a different hitter now."

Girardi and his coaches remain confident Cano will rebound, although team officials are concerned the slump has lasted this long. Cano's lapses at the plate have spilled over to the field, too - evidenced by his Ultimate Zone Rating (UZR), which has dropped from minus-0.6 last year to minus-2.3.

What drives the Yankees crazy is that the solution is so easy to articulate: relax and trust your instincts. Cano has watched video and can see his mistakes at a thousand frames per second. Yet, the lessons have too often evaporated once the game starts. He's swinging earlier in the count and at more pitches out of the strike zone."