Marcus Stroman struggles as Yankees fall to Rangers, 10-6

ARLINGTON, Texas — When the Yankees announced that they were pushing Marcus Stroman’s next start back on Aug. 7, the right-hander used the extra time to work on his mechanics.

That effort seemed to help Stroman, as he had a 6.32 ERA over 10 starts prior to the delay but a 2.35 ERA in four starts after it. On Wednesday, however, the veteran appeared out of sync once again, allowing five earned runs in a 10-6, series-deciding loss to the Rangers.

The defeat dropped the Yankees to 80-60 on the season and 40-41 since June 1. They are a half-game behind the Orioles, who lost to the historically hideous White Sox on Wednesday.

Stroman logged only 3 2/3 innings in Texas, as the Rangers managed nine hits off of him. While he walked just one batter, his command wasn’t exactly on point.

The Yankees’ outfield didn’t help out Stroman much. Such was the case in the second inning, as Leody Taveras got a double out of a ball with a 95% catch probability after it fell in front of Aaron Judge. Ezequiel Duran followed with an RBI double, giving the Rangers a 2-0 lead after an Adolis García groundout plated a run in the first inning.

Texas scored on a Josh Smith grounder in the fourth before Wyatt Langford plated another run with a knock. The rookie, Tuesday’s walk-off hero, hustled into second after Juan Soto took his time on that play.

Nathaniel Lowe added an RBI single, which forced Stroman out of the game.

Soto made up for his defensive lapse with a two-run, opposite-field homer in the fifth, but Mark Leiter Jr. inherited a jam in the sixth and surrendered a two-run double to García. Lowe then scored on a wild pitch.

While those three runs were charged to Tim Mayza, Leiter has had little success since coming over from the Cubs. He was the Yankees’ biggest — and only remaining — addition to a needy bullpen, but he has a 5.79 ERA in 16 games with the team.

A Duran double and a Langford single off Ron Marinaccio gave the Rangers two more runs in the seventh.

While the Yankees’ pitching staff struggled, Nathan Eovaldi held the Yankees to Soto’s homer over seven innings. The ex-Yank totaled four hits, three walks and six strikeouts.

Trent Grisham did mash a grand slam in the ninth as the Rangers’ bullpen tried to give the game away, but the Yankees were already in too deep of a hole.

The Yankees have now lost three straight series to inferior teams: Texas, St. Louis and Washington. The Rangers and Nationals are well below .500, while the Cardinals are hovering just above it.

With Baltimore also playing below its standards, the Yankees are wasting opportunities in a competitive division race. Then again, they have been a sub-.500 team themselves over a sample that equates to half a season.

Stuck in a prolonged stretch of mediocrity after a meteoric start to the season, the Yankees have off on Thursday. They’ll start a three-game series against the Cubs, who are a few games over .500, in Chicago on Friday.

Reinforcements are coming for the Yankees, as Luis Gil and Clarke Schmidt are slated to start the first two games of the series following stints on the injured list. Gerrit Cole will take the ball in the finale.