Yankees sputter in loss to Red Sox as reality hits without Aaron Judge

Here comes the hard part.

After waiting nervously while Aaron Judge sat out three straight games before being diagnosed with a stress fracture in his rib, the Yankees faced the last-place Red Sox in The Bronx on Friday night — and went out and lost for the third time in four games without their captain, this one 5-3.

This loss wasn’t all on the offense, as Ryan Weathers was tagged for five earned runs for the third time in his last four starts.

But the Yankees’ chances for a comeback against Boston were certainly diminished without Judge.

Facing former Yankee bust Sonny Gray — who brought a career 6.06 ERA at Yankee Stadium into the game — the offense never got going.

Ben Rice gave the Yankees a lead in the first inning with his 18th homer of the season — a solo shot to right.

But Weathers faltered in the second, loading the bases with one out.

Boston tied the game on a Wilyer Abreu grounder to short. Anthony Volpe opted not to go to second base and instead got the out at first.

Willson Contreras followed with a chopper in front of the plate that went for an infield single to score Jarren Duran and give the Red Sox a 2-1 lead.

They added to it in the fourth as Weathers gave up a one-out homer to Andruw Monasterio to make it 3-1.

The Yankees got a run back in the bottom of the inning on Spencer Jones’ double down the right field line that drove in Jazz Chisholm Jr.

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But Weathers’ long-ball problems continued in the fifth as Contreras hit a two-run shot into the second deck in left for a 5-2 lead.

A Trent Grisham blast to right with two outs in the fifth got the Yankees back to within two runs.

They were on the verge of getting back in the game in the seventh, with Ryan McMahon on first and Rice facing lefty Danny Coulombe.

Rice got the count full, with lefty-killing Paul Goldschmidt on deck, but Rice whiffed to end the inning.

In the ninth, against another disappointing ex-Yankee, Aroldis Chapman, the Yankees got a leadoff walk from Max Schuemann, pinch hitting for Jones.

Anthony Volpe struck out looking on three pitches and Amed Rosario, pinch hitting for Ryan McMahon, also walked on four pitches.

Then came their third pinch hitter of the inning, José Caballero for Austin Wells.

With runners on first and second and one out, Caballero popped out to right and Grisham grounded out and the Yankees dropped their first game of the year to Boston after sweeping three at Fenway Park in April.