Yankees throw unravels in loss as Red Sox split series

BOSTON — Baseball’s top team looked ordinary the past two nights at Fenway Park.

After watching his team take a big early lead en route to an ugly second loss to the Red Sox, it was hard to blame Aaron Boone for getting rattled Sunday night in an 11-6 loss.

The manager was ejected by plate umpire Tripp Gibson after Giancarlo Stanton was caught looking to finish the top of the seventh.

But the Yankees’ problems ran deeper than questionable calls, as Jameson Taillon was bad again, they gave up a season-high 11 points, and their defense was abysmal.

All of this has allowed Boston to come from behind to beat the Yankees on consecutive nights in front of sold-out crowds, as the Red Sox scored eight unanswered runs on Sunday.

That ended the Yankees’ four-city, 10-game road trip with a 5-5 record, falling to 61-25 on the season, but with a 14-game lead over second-placed Boston.

Scored twice to lead to four runs, Taillon allowed six runs – as well as three season-high home runs – in five innings. It was his fourth consecutive sub-par outing.

The Yankees got off to a fast start, as Aaron Judge singled and Giancarlo Stanton homered with two out against Nick Pivetta, his 22nd homer of the season.

Pivetta walked Matt Carpenter and Aaron Hicks to start the second and Jose Trevino followed with an RBI single in the left-field corner, but was kicked out at second. Isiah Kiner-Falefa added an RBI single to make it 4-0.

Staked on a four-point lead at the start, the ball from the home run again attracted Taillon.

After giving up four home runs in his last three starts, Taillon allowed a two-out, two-run shot to Franchy Cordero in second.

Carpenter, however, homered a two-run homer in the third, giving Taillon another four-run cushion.

This time, it didn’t last.

Christian Vazquez pushed him wide with two outs in the third.

After a scoreless fourth, Taillon again got into trouble in the fifth.

With two outs and Jackie Bradley Jr. in third, Vazquez scored a brace.

Pitching coach Matt Blake came to the mound for a visit and JD Martinez hammered Taillon’s next pitch into the right-center seats to bring the Red Sox all the way.

It also continued a worrying streak for Taillon, who allowed 27 runs in 35 ²/₃ innings in his last seven starts for a 6.81 ERA after having a 2.30 ERA in his first 10 outings. He also allowed 20 earned runs in his last 21 innings.

Aroldis Chapman entered in sixth, as the Yankees try to determine a role for the southpaw.

Trevor Story hit a pop-up high into the shallow right to start the inning, but DJ LeMahieu, moved to second base, couldn’t find the hold and went for a single.

After Cordero walked, former Yankee Rob Refsnyder hit for Bradley and walked to charge the bases.

Chapman hit Bobby Dalbec before pinch hitter Jeter Downs threw a ball to shallow center, where LeMahieu missed again. It went for the pick of a defender, as Story scored the go-ahead.

With runners in the corners, Chapman knocked out Vazquez to end the 27-pitch inning and make it a one-run game.

It didn’t last, as Kiner-Falefa made a throwing error to start the bottom of the seventh and Miguel Castro charged the bases before giving up a three-run brace to Story.

The silver lining for the Yankees is that after Monday’s bye, they will face Cincinnati for three games – although the Reds have won four in a row.