The Yankees could explain away being dominated by Garrett Crochet, a Cy Young contender who greatly enhances his candidacy every time he faces them.

But the sad truth for Aaron Boone & Co. is that the Red Sox probably didn’t need to use their ace to beat them. Sure, the Yankees got shut down by Crochet for seven innings (11 Ks) as they always seem to. But he was nowhere near the mound when Saturday’s mildly competitive game collapsed into an embarrassing 12-1 rout, courtesy of a sloppy seven-run ninth inning that was yet another snapshot of the Yankees’ systemic failures this season.

Losing to the Red Sox happens. But the Yankees’ dismal tally is now up to eight straight, their longest in-season skid against Boston since 1912, when they dropped 14 in a row (before Babe Ruth’s career even

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