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The weekend to feast turned into famine for the Yankees.

Hosting the team with the worst record in baseball, the Yankees dropped the series against the Orioles, capped off by a brutal 8-7 loss on Sunday afternoon in The Bronx.

Andrew Heaney blew a three-run lead in the seventh inning as the Yankees (78-58) lost for the sixth time in eight games — following their 13-game winning streak — while falling to 9-7 against the Orioles (43-92) this season. They missed a chance to pick up a game on the AL East-leading Rays, who went 18-1 against the Orioles this season, and still lead the division by 7 ½ games.

The Yankees were left with just one win against the Orioles this weekend, needing extra innings on Friday night to get it.

“Incredibly frustrating that we didn’t put our best foot forward the last couple days,” manager Aaron Boone said. “The good thing is we hold the pen. We get to write the story still. We’ve responded from tough days, tough moments, tough stretches and we have to do it again.”


  Cedric Mullins reacts after hitting a two-run homer against the Yankees on Sunday. AP Cedric Mullins reacts after hitting a two-run homer against the Yankees on Sunday. AP

Pitching in a spot that likely would have gone to Jonathan Loaisiga had he not been placed on the injured list earlier in the day, Heaney was entrusted with a 7-4 lead in the seventh inning and promptly blew it. The lefty, who was moved to the bullpen when Corey Kluber returned to the rotation, began the inning by loading the bases on a hit batter and two singles. Jahmi Jones then roped a two-run double past the reach of right-fielder Giancarlo Stanton to make it 7-6.

After Heaney finally recorded the first out, Jorge Mateo hit a bloop single over the outstretched glove of DJ LeMahieu to tie the game 7-7.

Heaney was booed off the mound and replaced by Wandy Peralta — who, like Aroldis Chapman and Clay Holmes, had been needed to pitch in the first two games of the series, both of which were decided by one run despite the Orioles having MLB’s worst run differential (-233). Peralta quickly gave up a single to Kelvin Gutierrez that put the Orioles ahead 8-7.

“He’s going to have to [turn things around],” Boone said of Heaney, who now owns a 7.62 ERA in seven games as a Yankee. “He’s going to have to step up.”


  Yankees pitcher Corey Kluber hands the ball to manager Aaron Boone. Bill Kostroun Yankees pitcher Corey Kluber hands the ball to manager Aaron Boone. Bill Kostroun

The overworked bullpen was tasked with covering 5 ¹/₃ innings Sunday after Kluber lasted just 3 ²/₃ innings. In his second start back after missing three months with a shoulder strain, the right-hander labored while giving up two runs on four hits and three walks without much fastball command.

Gary Sanchez provided almost all of the Yankees’ offense, crushing a grand slam and a two-run homer to drive in six of their seven runs.

But it wasn’t enough to carry the Yankees to victory, in part due to a costly mistake in the field by Gleyber Torres.

With two outs in the sixth inning, Gutierrez hit a routine ground ball to shortstop, which Torres took his time fielding and getting off the throw. Gutierrez hustled to beat out the infield single, and one batter later, Cedric Mullins hit a two-run homer off Albert Abreu to get the Orioles within 5-4.

“It’s a ground ball to short, we gotta make that play,” said Boone, who was ejected in the fifth inning after arguing balls and strikes.

Torres agreed, but attributed it to the rain that had soaked the field.

“I just tried to grab the ball really well and don’t throw bad to first base,” Torres said. “It’s my mistake in that situation. … I feel like it’s everything on me in that inning.”

The seventh inning was on Heaney, who torched another three-run lead in a tough day for the bullpen.

“Obviously we’ve had to lean on them a lot,” Boone said. “We’ve got to spread it out with everyone and everyone’s got to share the load and get it done.”

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