Postseason minislumps are as common as a fall cold and magnified like the swine flu. But with all the off days in October and the pressure of the playoffs, it can be difficult for even an established hitter to make the necessary corrective adjustments.

"It's really different from the season," said Yankees first baseman Mark Teixeira, who is 2-for-19 (.105) in the Series and hitting .172 in the postseason. "The season, you're playing every single day, you're getting tons of at-bats. Postseason, I think we've played 11 games in 30 days or something crazy like that. You just don't have the at-bats.

"So what it is, it's one day at a time. …"

Phillies manager Charlie Manuel, a former hitting coach with the Cleveland Indians, said it's important to approach a slump as always, but it's easier said than done.

"I think the postseason might be tougher because it is a short series, and also, I think it's only natural that you start trying harder," he said. "And sometimes when you're trying harder, you're pressing. … Instead of just being relaxed and staying focused, you feel like you've got to get going because … postseason is short."

Yankees manager Joe Girardi has been asked almost every day this postseason about one player or another struggling, and he typically responds that October numbers are skewered.

"It's a few games," he said of Cano's struggles. "He's hit some balls hard. I remember him lining out against Cliff Lee, pretty deep left-center field. … If it's during the course of a season and you go a few days without a couple of hits, not much is said. But it seems to be really studied and analyzed … this time of year."

Girardi replaced Nick Swisher, who was 4-for-32 (.125) in the first two rounds of the playoffs, with Jerry Hairston Jr. for Game 2 of the Series, saying Hairston enjoyed success against Phillies starter Pedro Martinez. He re-inserted Swisher into the lineup for Game 3 against Cole Hamels, noting Swisher has had good at-bats against left-handers recently. The right fielder came back with a double and a home run.

"The thing about hitting this time of year, you're going to struggle at times because you're facing the best pitching," Girardi said. "And you don't really always get in a great rhythm because you don't play every day. There's a lot of off days. He went to work hard, we sat him down the second game, and he came out and swung the bat very well right-handed."

Swisher made a minor adjustment before the Series, widening his stance. He is 2-for-12 (.167) with three walks in the Series. "It's the same thing. It's just kind of wider. It takes out the movement," he said.

Howard, the most valuable player of the National League Championship Series, is 3-for-19 with 12 strikeouts against the Yankees.

Manuel said he thinks Howard is setting up with his weight too far forward in his stance, but added, "they're pitching him tough. … They're throwing him sliders and they're on the outside part of the plate."

A-Rod, after hitting .438 the first two rounds of the playoffs, is 4-for-18 in the Series with two hits Monday. One of the other hits was a home run in Game 3 and another was Sunday's ninth-inning double to drive home the go-ahead run.

"I think I made an adjustment after the first two games," Rodriguez said. "What I was doing was very simple — I was expanding the strike zone — and that's something that I didn't do against Minnesota or Anaheim."

Said Girardi: "You can be 0-for-30 and have the biggest hit of the postseason. That's the way this game is."

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Even accomplished postseason players, like Philadelphia's Ryan Howard, can lose it in a hurry in a World Series. A look at those who have struggled through the first five games in this Fall Classic:

Enlarge By Robert Deutsch, USA TODAY Phillies slugger Ryan Howard is batting just .158 in the World Series (through Game 4) after hitting .358 in the first two playoff series.