Because there are added ways to get into the postseason this COVID-impacted year, it would be premature to post funeral home visiting hours for the Yankees.

Yet a team many believe capable of being World Series champs during each spring training is circling the drain in regards to winning the AL East and in very real danger of finishing third, which would relegate it to competing for one of two wild-card tickets.

If you listened hard enough Wednesday night at an empty Yankee Stadium, you could hear the ashes of loved ones sprinkled throughout the ballpark voicing their displeasure about a lifeless 5-2 loss to the Rays who finished the season 8-2 against the Yankees.

According to the YES Network, it is the Yankees’ ninth worst season series versus any opponent all-time with a minimum of 10 games and the worst since they went 2-11 versus the Blue Jays in 1992.

“Obviously, disappointed. With the group of guys we have, the expectations are obviously high,’’ said bench coach Carlos Mendoza, who subbed for Aaron Boone, who served a one-game suspension as did Rays manager Kevin Cash. “It is always disappointing when you go 2-8 against a team like that. Obviously you have to move on and get ready for our next game.’’

That would be Thursday at Citi Field against the Mets.

Jordan Montgomery, giving up four runs in the first and registering just two outs before being removed, left the Yankees in a deep ditch they never fully climbed out of.

“Hung a couple of pitches in good hitters’ counts and they made good swings,’’ said Montgomery, who gave up two-run homers to Randy Arozarena and Mike Brosseau in the opening frame when the first five batters reached base via hits. It was Montgomery’s shortest outing in the big leagues.

The 26-12 Rays are now 4 ½ lengths up on the Yankees, who have 25 games remaining and are 4-9 in their past 13 games.

“Very disappointed, not happy about it. I don’t think anybody in that room is,’’ Brett Gardner said of their lack of success against the Rays. “They have played really well against us and have had our number. We haven’t been able to figure them out, so the hope is we get to see those guys again in October.’’

Gardner added the disappointment stretches beyond their ugly mark against the Rays.

“Disappointed overall, not just the way we played against the Rays but the way we played recently,’’ said Gardner, who went 1-for-4 and is hitting a woeful .173 for the season. “We have to pick it up.’’

Thanks to the bullpen allowing one run in 8 ¹/₃ innings the Yankees were never buried. Clint Frazier’s solo homer in the fifth and DJ LeMahieu’s two-out RBI single in the ninth accounted for the two runs. They did get Luke Voit, their hottest hitter, to the plate as the potential tying run but he grounded out to seal the loss.

The Yankees’ recent problems hitting with runners in scoring position played a part in the loss. They went 1-for-6 Wednesday and have three hits in their last 19 such at-bats.

Even with Giancarlo Stanton, Aaron Judge, James Paxton and Gleyber Torres out, the Yankees have enough talent to be one of the AL’s eight postseason teams. However, it’s clear that catching the Rays will be very difficult and the plucky Blue Jays are a game back of the Yankees in the race for second in the AL East, a finish that guarantees a ticket into October.

“The bottom line is they played better baseball and that is really it. They have good pitching but we expect ourselves to be better,’’ said Gary Sanchez, who went 1-for-3 and is hitting a mystifying .130. “Hopefully we meet them again and make the necessary adjustments and perform the way we are used to.’’