It was just a series split on paper.

Two wins for the Yankees. Two for the Rays, including an 8-7 victory Sunday in The Bronx.

It didn’t alter the AL East standings like a sweep would have. The Yankees still are in fourth place — half a game out of the cellar, eight games back from the Rays — and won’t close any gaps with the two-steps-forward, two-steps-back approach.

But compared to other games in the 42-contest sample, these four against the Rays felt a bit different for the Yankees (23-19).