ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — As the heart of the season approaches, the Yankees got a taste of what might be in store for them the rest of the way.

Dealing with their first rash of injuries and some tough competition, the Yankees dropped their second straight to the Rays, 4-2, at Tropicana Field.

“It wasn’t our day,’’ Aaron Judge. “Coming into the Trop, it’s always a battle with them.”

And it just might be in the division, as well.

After storming out of the gates in April and most of May, the Yankees are 5-6 in their last 11 with the Angels heading to The Bronx on Tuesday.

Most importantly, at the season’s first milestone marker, they have a 4 ½-game lead in the AL East over Tampa Bay.

“We’re in first place,’’ Judge said. “That’s the only thing I’m really gonna look at: where we are in the standings. It’s better than being in second place.”

The Yankees had a chance to put some more distance between themselves and the Rays, losing a pair of close games after winning the first two of the series.

They lost on Sunday despite allowing just two hits, done in by some walks in the seventh inning, as well as going 0-for-9 with runners in scoring position.

They’re no doubt feeling the effects of not having Giancarlo Stanton and Josh Donaldson in the lineup.

And their bullpen has faltered without Jonathan Loaisiga, Aroldis Chapman and Chad Green.

Gleyber Torres gave the Yankees a 1-0 lead when he led off the top of the second with a homer to left. It was Torres’ ninth home run of the season — matching his total from all of last season in less than a third as many plate appearances.

Miguel Andujar followed with a single through the right side of the infield and moved to third when Yandy Diaz misplayed Isiah Kiner-Falefa’s grounder to first for an error.

With runners on the corners and one out, the Yankees failed to capitalize, as Kyle Higashioka struck out and Joey Gallo grounded to second.

Tampa Bay tied the game at 1-1 in the bottom of the inning, as Ji-Man Choi matched Torres with a leadoff homer.

The Yankees threatened again in the third, as DJ LeMahieu and Judge opened with opposite-field singles to right.

But Anthony Rizzo and Torres each whiffed and Andujar grounded out to end the threat.

The Yankees fell behind in the bottom of the fifth when Severino allowed another solo shot, this one to Taylor Walls, the infielder who called the Yankees “very beatable” on Thursday.

Torres and Andujar both singled to start the sixth before Aaron Hicks lined to third and Kiner-Falefa grounded into an inning-ending double play, started nicely at third by Walls, who went far to his left to get to the ball.

Severino issued his first two walks of the day to start the bottom of the seventh. He struck out Manuel Margot and was replaced by Ron Marinaccio.

Marinaccio walked Walls to load the bases for Harold Ramirez, pinch hitting for Brett Phillips.

Ramirez walked to force in a run and give the Rays a 3-1 lead.

Marinaccio then hit Mike Zunino with a pitch to make it 4-1.

Aaron Boone said he went with Marinaccio over Clarke Schmidt because he wanted Schmidt for the top of the order, but it didn’t work out.

“We didn’t throw strikes,’’ Boone said. “You’ve got to make them beat you and today we didn’t do that well enough.’’

Torres made a strong throw home on a grounder by Vidal Brujan to get Walls at the plate for the second out and Marinaccio fanned Kiermaier to keep it a three-run game.

Judge led off the eighth with a homer off Colin Poche. Judge has an MLB-best 18 homers on the season.

With the score 4-2, Torres singled with one out and moved to second on a wild pitch, but Andujar popped out.

Hicks hit a hard grounder up the middle, but Walls — having moved to second — made another terrific play to get him.

“We just couldn’t get that one hit,’’ Boone said.