MLB

Gary Sanchez struck out four times — then it got worse

The only time Gary Sanchez put the ball in play Saturday, it ended any chance of a second straight come-from-behind win for the Yankees.

The dreaded platinum sombrero might have been a preferred result. Instead, Sanchez finally made contact, only to bounce into a 5-4-3, game-ending double play in the Yankees’ 2-1, 11-inning loss to the Rays at Yankee Stadium.

It capped a forgettable day for the slugging catcher. In his first four at-bats, Sanchez struck out three times against Rays starter Blake Snell, the reigning AL Cy Young Award winner, and once by reliever Emilio Pagan.

And in his fifth trip to the plate, against Tampa Bay closer Jose Alvarado — against whom Sanchez singled during the game-winning rally Friday night — he grounded into the twin killing.

“Tampa can do that to you. You are facing Snell. It is a challenge,” manager Aaron Boone said after his team’s four-game winning streak came to an end.

“Obviously a tough day for him, and I look forward to him getting back in there tomorrow behind the plate and getting back at it. They make it as tough as anyone with what they bring in from the pen and with Snell going today.”

Sanchez, in suffering through his second four-strikeout game of the season, struggled with the heat of the Rays’ pitchers. Serving as the designated hitter, he whiffed on a 97 mph fastball from Snell in the first and stranded two men on base in the third, when he was unable to lay off a 3-2 fastball out of the strike zone.

Sanchez was caught looking in the sixth by Snell and was blown away by Pagan in the eighth, going down on three pitches and hearing scattered boos.

Boone, however, didn’t seem overly concerned. Sanchez is having a productive year, with a slash line of .263/.342/.646, 12 home runs, 22 RBIs and a .988 OPS. He entered Saturday having hit safely in four of his previous five games.

As Boone pointed out, the Rays pitching staff can make a good hitter look bad — and it certainly did that to Sanchez in the 11-inning affair.