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Any remaining playoff hopes the Yankees held likely were dashed Tuesday, gone far quicker than Giancarlo Stanton’s legs will allow him to run these days.

The previously surging Yankees took a step back — perhaps the step that pushes away any lingering vestige of belief about a miracle run up the wild-card standings — and stumbled in appropriate fashion: a rough season for Stanton grew rougher.

The slugger took four at-bats and was responsible for six outs — striking out twice and grounding into a pair of double plays — in the Yankees’ 7-1, series-opening and perhaps hope-closing loss to the Blue Jays in front of 38,545 in The Bronx.

With 11 games to play, the Yankees (76-75) fell seven games behind the Mariners and Rangers — who both were victorious Tuesday — for the final wild-card spot.

They could win-out and still finish outside the playoff hunt.

“Throughout the course of the year, I think execution … we felt like we fell short,” said losing pitcher Clarke Schmidt, taking a look back at a long season. “We didn’t do what we set out to do as far as throughout the season, getting the job done, whether that was pitching, whether that was at the plate.”


  Giancarlo Stanton hits into a double play to end the sixth inning of the Toronto Blue Jays and New York Yankees game at Yankee Stadium. JASON SZENES FOR THE NEW YORK POST Giancarlo Stanton hits into a double play to end the sixth inning of the Toronto Blue Jays and New York Yankees game at Yankee Stadium. JASON SZENES FOR THE NEW YORK POST

It was just the club’s seventh loss in its past 21 games, but the April-through-August Yankees left the September Yankees virtually no room for error.

Stanton, the bats around him and Schmidt were imperfect, which made the difference against the club holding the AL’s second wild card.

Maybe this year would have been different if one of the game’s preeminent power hitters enjoyed a throwback season, but Stanton’s plunge has been sharp.

A hamstring strain cost him more than six weeks early in the season, but the Yankees have missed his bat even when it has been in the lineup.

After his 0-for-4 night, Stanton’s OPS is down to .702 — which would easily be the worst of his career — and it’s only sinking. The one-time MVP is now 2-for-35 in his past 10 games.

He has five hits in September, his average sitting at .190.

“It’s obviously been a struggle,” manager Aaron Boone said of Stanton, who was not in the clubhouse after the game. “Just having a hard time getting on one of those really hot grooves where he goes a month at a time and gets hot. He hasn’t had that stretch.”

Neither taking pitches nor swinging worked for Stanton against Yusei Kikuchi and the Blue Jays’ bullpen. Stanton watched three strikes go by in his first at-bat.

He meekly whiffed at a curveball in the dirt for strike three in his next turn.

With two on and one out in a game the Yankees were trailing by three in the sixth inning, he chopped a Yimi Garcia slider into the shortstop hole for a slow-moving and inning-ending double play.

Stanton runs the bases carefully, not wanting to sustain the type of muscle-pulling setback that already sidetracked his year.


  New York Yankees starting pitcher Clarke Schmidt reacts as he walks back to the dugout after ending the fifth inning. JASON SZENES FOR THE NEW YORK POST New York Yankees starting pitcher Clarke Schmidt reacts as he walks back to the dugout after ending the fifth inning. JASON SZENES FOR THE NEW YORK POST

Instead, his legs continually set back the Yankees.

In Stanton’s last at-bat, he grounded into a game-ending double play.

Is this simply the lead-footed reality for the 33-year-old now?

“We’ll see,” Boone said of Stanton, who is signed through 2027. “We got to look into it and try to get him in the best possible situation in the offseason, then heading into spring training.”

Stanton typified the Yankees’ issues, but they were larger than the 6-foot-6 big swinger.

The Yankees scored three batters into the bottom of the first — when Gleyber Torres’ double brought home Aaron Judge — and not again.

The lefty Kikuchi, before leaving in the sixth with a left upper trapezius muscle cramp, silenced an all-righty starting lineup that did not manage many threats.

The Yankees finished with just six hits.

Schmidt would have needed perfection and fell far short in a five-inning, four-run outing that began with a George Springer home run and featured a two-run shot from Bo Bichette in the fifth inning that ruined the righty’s night.


  New York Yankees Aaron Judge reacts after he strikes out swinging in the sixth inning. JASON SZENES FOR THE NEW YORK POST New York Yankees Aaron Judge reacts after he strikes out swinging in the sixth inning. JASON SZENES FOR THE NEW YORK POST

The Yankees’ bullpen held down the Blue Jays until the ninth, when Alejandro Kirk crushed a two-run homer off Zach McAllister and an Anthony Volpe error enabled another to score.

The Yankees have followed up a three-game winning streak by dropping two in a row and likely out of any semblance of a playoff race, even if it is hard to concede.

“I think we still have an opportunity to make something special,” Torres said.

Schmidt opened and closed his outing poorly, excelling in between during a four-run, five-inning start. 


  Toronto Blue Jays shortstop Bo Bichette hits a two-run homer during the fifth inning. JASON SZENES FOR THE NEW YORK POST Toronto Blue Jays shortstop Bo Bichette hits a two-run homer during the fifth inning. JASON SZENES FOR THE NEW YORK POST

George Springer blasted his fifth pitch of the game for a leadoff homer in the first before Torres’ double tied it. 

Toronto (84-67) took the lead for good in the fourth, taking advantage of a throwing error by third baseman Oswald Peraza that put runners on the corners without an out.

Cavan Biggio followed with an RBI single. 

The lead swelled an inning later.

It appeared Schmidt had escaped the fifth and struck out Springer, but a would-be strike three became the first ball of an eventual walk.

Bo Bichette then drilled a two-run home run. 

The Yankees’ bullpen held down the Blue Jays until the ninth, when Alejandro Kirk crushed a two-run shot off Zach McAllister and an Anthony Volpe error enabled another run to score.

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