CLEVELAND — About two hours before Sunday’s game against the Indians, Aaron Boone sat in the first-base dugout and was asked if he followed the sizzling Red Sox.

“I see they win every day,’’ Boone said. “I am aware they win every day.’’

Including Sunday, when the Red Sox topped the Blue Jays while the Yankees dropped a 5-2 decision to the Indians in front of 32,644 sun-baked customers at Progressive Field.

There isn’t team in baseball that wouldn’t accept the Yankees’ 62-33 record entering the All-Star break, except the Red Sox, who are 68-30 and hold a 4 ½ game lead over the second-place Yankees in the AL East.

That deficit is the furthest the Yankees have been out of first place since they were five lengths back on April 23. Perhaps if it were mid-September, Boone would be more concerned.

“Not at all, there is nothing we can do about it. We have the Mets, that’s our next up and that will be what we focus on,’’ said Boone, whose club heads into the break having gone 6-5 against the Blue Jays, Orioles and Indians on an 11-game, 10-day trip. “Hopefully you get some cooperation standing wise, but you drive yourself crazy in July trying to keep track of that. Just take care of our own house.’’

For seven innings, that house was in order. In his second start off the disabled list, Tanaka pitched decidedly better than he had in the first and held the Indians to Edwin Encarnacion’s two-run homer on a first-pitch slider in 6 ¹/₃ innings. Aaron Hicks had an RBI, two-out single in the third and Neil Walker homered off Trevor Bauer in the fourth.

In the eighth, the house was a mess.

Chad Green, who stranded two in the seventh, made a mistake with a 0-1 fastball to Michael Brantley leading off the eighth and he barely got a homer past a jumping Giancarlo Stanton in right.

“I think I was pretty close,’’ Stanton said of catching the ball. “Within a foot I guess.’’

The Indians tacked on two more runs and Cody Allen, the shaky Indians closer recorded the final three outs.

“The team is playing very well, but for me I haven’t pitched the way I really want to,’’ Tanaka said. “I think it’s important for me to keep fighting and get good performances like I did today.’’

It was Green’s second straight subpar outing and he shouldered the blame.

“I have to do a better job,’’ said Green, who has noticed hitters have adjusted to his 95-mph fastball up in the zone and will contemplate mixing in a slider to keep them off the heater. “It is something I have confidence in and [will] make the adjustment.’’

Before July turns into August there is a good chance the rotation will have a new face. Gary Sanchez is due back from the disabled list Friday. Gleyber Torres isn’t that far away from coming back. Sunday aside, when he went 0-4 and stranded five runners in the first three innings, Greg Bird has hit well recently.

All of that, especially if a starter is acquired, should keep the Yankees in touch with the Red Sox.

“It’s easy to sit here and nitpick and try to see how we can be better but ultimately we have to be better to win the division and get where we want to be which is win the World Series,’’ Brett Gardner said. “I am pleased with the way we played in the first half, but I am not pleased we are not in first place in the division so we have some work to do.’’