Lost weekend has Red Sox reeling

The slumping Red Sox fell farther out of contention for wild card playoff slot in the wake of a four-game disaster in The Bronx this past weekend.

NEW YORK -- Sunday night’s events at Yankee Stadium felt somewhat inevitable.

 There was nothing to suggest the Red Sox would pick this occasion to snap out of their recent tailspin. The Bronx represents something of a personal Waterloo for David Price since signing with Boston as a free agent prior to the 2016 campaign, and New York has been just about unbeatable at home recently against American League East opponents at this venue.

 Nonetheless, the manner in which the Red Sox were swept away this weekend was rather jarring. The Yankees provided the finishing touches on a four-game whitewash with a 7-4 victory, perhaps vanquishing their ancient rivals once from the race for a wild card spot.

 Tampa Bay now owns a 6½-game lead on Boston for the right to play in the postseason. Price was the latest Red Sox starting pitcher to be rocked, lasting 2 2/3 innings and giving up seven earned runs. The last seven men he faced in the bottom of the third inning reached safely, including a two-run homer to deep left by Gio Urshela and a two-run single to right by Mike Tauchman.

 Sunday marked Price’s eighth regular season start here with Boston. He’s pitched to a 9.16 earned-run average, the most by any pitcher who’s made at least six starts at any opposing ballpark over the past four seasons. Price has also been cuffed for 20 earned runs in his last four outings overall, good for a 10.59 ERA.

 Aaron Judge’s solo home run to the bleachers in right gave New York a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first. Price retired two of the first three men he faced in the third before Urshela blasted a hanging changeup to the back wall of the Red Sox bullpen. Brett Gardner and Cameron Maybin sprayed back-to-back doubles to their respective pull sides and there was no turning back.

 Price’s woes have been the norm in a Boston rotation currently in freefall. Red Sox starters have been pounded to the tune of a 10.70 ERA during this eight-game losing streak, the club’s longest since July 2015. That Boston team closed just 78-84 and was the last not to capture a division title.

 The Red Sox showed signs of life only after it was too late. Christian Vazquez and Michael Chavis crushed back-to-back solo homers to left in the fifth. Andrew Benintendi sent a two-run single up the middle in the sixth, chasing J.A. Happ after 5 2/3 frames.

 Boston eventually brought the tying run to the plate against reliever Luis Cessa. Benintendi was still aboard when Vazquez drew a walk and Chavis jumped ahead in the count 2-and-0. He couldn’t pull the trigger on a middle-middle fastball, taking it for a strike, and eventually went down swinging to end the inning.

 The Red Sox were last as low as four games over .500 on July 3. Boston won its next five and eventually reached 12 games over .500 on July 27, doing so courtesy of a 9-5 cruise past the Yankees. The Red Sox haven’t won a game since that early evening at Fenway Park.