How Yankees’ Greg Bird, Miguel Andujar showed warts at same time

Greg Bird and Miguel Andujar each would like another shot at a play that helped the Red Sox toward a 5-4, extra-inning win over the Yankees at Fenway Park on Thursday night.

BOSTON — It was a throw Miguel Andujar had to make.

Could also argue that Greg Bird couldn’t drop it.

And it was one of the biggest letdowns in a night filled with them for the Yankees as they fell, 5-4, in 10 innings — after blowing a ninth-inning lead — at Fenway Park early Monday morning.

“A tough way to obviously end a tough weekend,” manager Aaron Boone said.

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Of course, there was plenty of blame to go around.

Aroldis Chapman needed to protect the three-run lead going into what should have been the final frame. Instead, he walked the bases loaded and then gave up a two-RBI single to J.D. Martinez to let Boston within a run.

Jonathan Holder — for the second time in the series — imploded when he gave up the go-ahead run, when Andrew Benintendi’s RBI single gave manager Alex Cora’s team the walk-off.

Also didn’t help that Masahiro Tanaka, while he gave up only a run and struck out nine, also only lasted 4 2/3 innings.

But Andujar, whose made an error earlier in the game, needed to make a better throw on groundball from Xander Bogaerts. But Andujar short-hopped Bird at first base. The ball popped out of Bird’s glove.

Pinch runner Jackie Bradley Jr. scored from second base to tie the game and send it into extra innings.

Afterward, Andujar, whose defense has long been suspect, said he had to make the throw.

“Those are things that are going to happen,” he said. “You have to learn from those.”

Boone said Andujar needs to better attack balls.

“Those are balls he’s got to start attacking a little bit more,” the manager said. “He made some really good plays over there tonight and even this weekend, but a tough one that he’s got to learn from, we’ve got to learn from to continue to help him grow over there because of how obviously important he is for us.”

He added that Bird “had a chance” at the throw. He hasn’t made anyone forget about Mark Teixeira at the position, though Bird has improved.

“It’s a tough scoop,” Boone said. “The softer it’s thrown, the harder it is to stick. Birdie is pretty good in the dirt over there at picking those balls, so certainly a play he had a chance to make that just popped out, obviously.”

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