Aaron Boone confident struggling Yankees in place to start ‘ripping off wins’ after rainout reprieve

A half-game lead in the American League East has turned into a season-high 5 ½-game deficit in just a 14-game stretch for the Yankees as they headed into Sunday’s game against the Rays.

That’s what happens when you lose 10 of 14 games, as the Yankees have done.

As Aaron Boone said prior to Sunday’s game in The Bronx after a rainout on Saturday.

“I think it will serve us well,’’ Boone said of Saturday’s washout. “It’s been a crappy couple weeks for us, result-wise, but I feel like we’re in a good place team-wise. I feel we have a good run in us here.”

Their drop in the standings has been the result of an offense that’s slumped, with even Aaron Judge being mostly a no-show during the stretch, as well as a bullpen that’s faltered more often than the Yankees would like.

“We lost some tough games,’’ Boone said of the stretch. “I feel we played well in some of it and actually had some tough losses.”

Corey Sipkin for the NY POST

Aaron Judge is looking on after striking out during a game between the New York Yankees and Tampa Bay Rays. Getty Images

It started with a three-game sweep in Milwaukee to the first-place Brewers, followed by a series loss in Baltimore.

They then dropped two of three to the Mets at Citi Field and split four games against Toronto after winning the first two games of that series.

Boone said the Yankees “hit a stretch where we didn’t swing the bats great” before the Mets series, when he “thought we played really well.”

After Sunday at the Stadium, they have three games starting Monday in Kansas City, followed by three more in Sacramento against the A’s.

“We’ve been a little up and down offensively through this stretch,” Boone said. “We’ve had a couple heartbreaking losses and a win just got away from us [against the Mets]. Overall, we’ve got to be a little bit better, a little more consistent offensively. I do feel good about where we are and what our mindset is. I’m waiting for us to hit that good run… We’re in a place where there’s no reason we can’t stop ripping off wins.”