Yankees’ room for improvement on display in series loss to Red Sox

With a 39-25, first-place record, the Yankees are one of the best teams in baseball. Certainly, in the American League.

However, an unsuccessful weekend against the fourth-place Red Sox – Boston took 2-of-3 in the Bronx and dropped double digits in the last two games – highlighted the Yankees’ room for improvement ahead of the July 31 trade deadline.

“They had their hitting shoes on the last couple nights,” Aaron Boone said after the Yankees fell, 11-7, on Sunday Night Baseball. “They beat us here this weekend. It’s part of it. We’ll regroup into the off day.”

Added Aaron Judge, who hit two homers in Sunday’s loss: “The message is just keep going. We’ve lost a couple series already this year. It’s just another series. We’ve got a big one coming up against Kansas City.”

The shortcomings of the Yankees’ roster were on display in the two losses.

With Anthony Volpe’s elbow banged up and Jazz Chisholm Jr. getting a scheduled off day after returning from the injured list earlier in the week, Saturday’s 10-7 loss saw the Yankees start Oswald Peraza and Pablo Reyes.

That both players have lasted this long on the roster is not ideal for a team with championship aspirations, even one that has suffered numerous injuries since spring training. That’s especially true for Reyes, who has offered next to nothing at the plate and has been a liability in the field.

With Giancarlo Stanton expected to start a rehab assignment soon, Reyes’ days could be numbered. Meanwhile, a replacement for the slick-fielding but light-hitting Peraza would raise the floor of the Yankees’ bench. Someone like Pittsburgh’s Isiah Kiner-Falefa would make sense in that role; the ex-Yankee would enthusiastically welcome a return to New York.

The Yankees will also surely explore a trade for a starting caliber second or third baseman, though DJ LeMahieu has been playing well of late, going 9-for-21 (.429) to start the month. It’s too soon to say that the well-paid veteran, who has shown signs of decline in recent years, will be a consistent contributor, but LeMahieu’s performance could impact what the Yankees do ahead of the deadline.

Saturday’s loss also saw Ryan Yarbrough shelled for the first time since the swingman entered the Yankees’ rotation. The funky lefty had been stellar before that, but he allowed eight earned runs over just four innings.