PHOENIX -- The Jason Bay watch is at 0-for-22 after the left fielder went hitless in three at-bats Sunday while also walking.

Bay's average has slipped to .159.

According to ESPN Stats & Information, the hitless streak is two shy of matching Bay's career high -- a 24 at-bat stretch last season with the Mets.

Bay's third-longest career streak also came as a Met last year, at 20 at-bats.

He has had 18 at-bat hitless streaks three times -- in 2005, 2011 and this season.

Terry Collins chatted with Bay again on Sunday. The manager said the most difficult part for Bay is the concern that he will lose the respect of teammates.

Asked if he saw any potential for an impending breakout in Bay's recent at-bats, Collins paused noticeably before replying.

"Well, when you ask those kind of questions, I don't know what I'm supposed to see," the manager eventually said. "If it's a groundball single as opposed to hitting a ball hard to the shortstop -- one gets through and one is at him -- I'm not sure what the difference is. All I know is he's real frustrated by it. I mean, very, very frustrated by it all. But the one thing we're trying to get him to do is to get the bat out in front and be aggressive as he can. Hopefully he starts to get it going.

"I know how he's feeling. We talked this afternoon. The one thing Jason Bay doesn't want to do is lose the respect of those guys in that clubhouse. So that bothers him more than anything."

Bay was first-pitch swinging in his final two at-bats Sunday, on a flyout to center and a groundout to shortstop.

"I have no problem with that," Collins said. "If that's the ball he wants, he's got to go get it. Because one of the things we're seeing is when he falls behind in the count, he expands that zone and he struggles with it."