If Brett Gardner were a few inches taller, CC Sabathia’s possible last start for the Yankees might have concluded in a respectable manner.

But there was Ian Kinsler’s line drive sailing over Gardner’s outstretched glove in left field during Tuesday’s third inning, opening the gates for the Red Sox in their 4-3 victory over the Yankees in Game 4 of the ALDS.

Sabathia would depart the mound in a three-run hole after three innings and not return, a bitter taste for sure for the veteran lefty in his 24th career postseason start and 25th appearance.

Overall, he allowed three earned runs on five hits with two walks and a hit batter on a night he threw only 59 pitches.

The 38-year-old Sabathia, a Yankees war horse since 2009, is headed to free agency after the season and has indicated he would like to continue pitching next year. But the Yankees could easily head in a different direction with a rotation that could use an offseason boost.

Sabathia’s misery started when he plunked Andrew Benintendi leading off the third inning. Steve Pearce’s ensuing soft single to center put runners on the corners before J.D. Martinez delivered a sacrifice fly for the game’s first run.

After Xander Bogaerts was retired on a ground out, Sabathia was in position to escape the inning with minimal damage. Kinsler’s line drive to left could have been that final out, but the leaping Gardner — who is generously listed at 5-foot-10 — couldn’t get his webbing on the ball. The RBI double gave the Red Sox a second run before Eduardo Nunez singled on a shot to left that put the Yankees in a 3-0 hole.

It marked the first time in Sabathia’s career with the Yankees that he allowed more than two runs in a home postseason start. For his Yankees career he entered 8-3 with a 3.29 ERA in the postseason.

A night earlier,

Luis Severino never gave the Yankees a chance

and was knocked out in the fourth inning. And lefty

J.A. Happ lasted only two innings in his Game 1 start

at Fenway Park. The only Yankees starting pitcher

who stepped up in the series was Masahiro Tanaka

, who allowed one earned run over five innings in Game 2.

Before the game, manager Aaron Boone tried to downplay the significance of having his most experienced pitcher on the mound in a must-win game.

“Obviously, what CC is in that room is kind of the elder statesman, the leader, a guy that pretty much everyone in that room looks up to and admires, there’s that,” Boone said. “But I think all those guys in there, whoever we roll out, feel that we have a really good chance, and CC is no different.”