Yankees, Masahiro Tanaka smacked by Rangers | Rapid reaction

The Rangers hit four home runs off the Yankees, including three from Ronald Guzman, in a 12-7 loss on Friday night, snapping New York’s four-game winning streak.

NEW YORK — Masahiro Tanaka walked off the mound like a man demoralized, his head down, his gait slow and deliberate. The boos he likely expected never came, perhaps because those unfortunate enough to spend money to see him had witnessed it before.

Tanaka’s home-run problems were back in full force as the Yankees fell, 12-7, to the Rangers at Yankee Stadium on Friday night.

Texas smacked three bombs off Tanaka, the second time he has allowed that many in a game this season.

He gave up six runs total, tying him with the most he’s given up this season. That happened in April, against the juggernaut Red Sox.

While Texas has played better of late, the Rangers — in last place in the American League West — aren’t quite of juggernaut status, though they did get three home runs from Ronald Guzman.

What it means

The loss snapped their four-game winning streak.

The Yankees started the day eight games back of Boston in the AL East. They were 4 1/2 games up on Oakland for first place in the Wild Card.

Bombs away

After a scoreless three innings, the Rangers broke out for a three-run fourth inning. They never looked back.

Tanaka surrendered back-to-back jacks to Adrian Beltre (two-run) and then Ronald Guzman in the frame. Guzman would later homer in the sixth and seventh innings, too.

The Yankees were down, 5-0, until Brett Gardner rocked a solo shot in the fifth.

They wouldn’t get much closer.

In the sixth, the Rangers tagged the Yankees for four runs. 

The lowlight, for the Yankees, was when Didi Gregorius’ — normally so accurated with his throws — bounced off the helmet of Rougned Odor and two runs scored. 

Odor singled to right field. Drew Robinson and Shin-Soo Choo scored on the hit. But Odor was caught in a pickle. Gregorius tried to run him down, but he his throw to first base went off Odor’s dome and Odor reached second base.

You should know

Chad Green pitched in a low-leverage inning and still gave up two runs on three hits while striking out one. In mop-up work, A.J. Cole, following Tanaka’s terrible night, surrendered four runs, just two of them earned.

Elvis Andrus had four hits and three RBI for the Rangers, who also got multi-hit nights from Choo, Odor, Beltre and Guzman.

Shane Robinson started his fourth straight game with Giancarlo Stanton nursing a left hamstring strain. He went 0-for-3.

The Yankees’ first three hitters combined to go 0-for-10, with Stanton drawing the only two walks. Didi Gregorius, who hit a ground-rule RBI double, and Austin Romine, who homered in the seventh, each recorded three hits.

Luke Voit started the game at first base and played right field in the ninth.

Next

Yankees righty Lance Lynn (8-8, 4.58 ERA) vs. Rangers righty Drew Hutchinson (1-2, 6.29 ERA) at 1:05 p.m. at Yankee Stadium.

Brendan Kuty may be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @BrendanKutyNJ. Find NJ.com Yankees on Facebook.