Tony Kemp's two-run homer off Chad Green in eighth lifts A's over Yankees

OAKLAND, Calif. — Aaron Judge didn’t get overly philosophical Saturday when the Yankees’ longest winning streak since 1961 came to an end at 13 games.

"A loss is a loss," Judge said. "It’s time to start another streak.’’

Perhaps Monday in Anaheim.

Not on Sunday night against the Athletics.

It was a second straight game in which the Yankees’ offense misfired. On a night when their defense wasn’t much better, that proved too much to overcome in a 3-1 loss to the A’s in front of 18,468 at Oakland Coliseum.

With a split of the four-game series, the Yankees (76-54) fell six games behind the AL East-leading Rays but remained two games ahead of the Red Sox for the league’s top wild-card spot.

Chad Green retired the first two Oakland batters in the eighth, but two pitches later, the A’s had a 3-1 lead. Leftfielder Joey Gallo seemed to get a poor read on a drive hit by Mark Canha that went for a double. Tony Kemp ripped the next pitch down the rightfield line for a two-run homer.

"Just have to make better quality pitches,’’ Green said. "Didn’t make enough of them."

Giancarlo Stanton said of the play Gallo didn’t make: "Tough play. A line drive with odd spin, plus 110 mph . . . It’s a difficult read."

The Yankees, who had won 25 of 30 and 35 of 46 entering Saturday, have been held to three runs in their two straight losses.

Does Aaron Boone have any concern about a hangover of some kind after the 13-game streak was snapped?

"No. We’re in a really good mental space,’’ he said. "You’re going to hit a bump in the road along the way, even when we’re playing great. Disappointed we couldn’t get this one, but it’s on to Anaheim now. Our focus is where it needs to be."

Said Stanton, "We wanted the series, but we have to dust it off and be ready in [Anaheim]. Not ideal, but we’ll be fine."

Brett Gardner turned in a stellar game defensively in centerfield, making three running catches near the wall that took away extra-base hits, but Gio Urshela’s error led to the only run the A’s managed in Jordan Montgomery’s six innings.

Urshela’s second error helped the A’s load the bases with two outs in the seventh, but Jonathan Loaisiga struck out Yan Gomes to escape the jam.

"I just chalk it up to one of those days,’’ Boone said of Urshela, who just came off the injured list. "Gio’s as good as it gets over there."

Two errors by the A’s allowed the Yankees to tie it in the seventh.

With the A’s leading 1-0, Gary Sanchez drew a leadoff walk off Jake Diekman and went to second on a two-out wild pitch. Then came some craziness.

Anthony Rizzo, pinch hitting for Tyler Wade, started walking disgustedly back to the dugout after hitting a weak pop-up in foul ground just to the left of the plate — but A’s catcher Gomes somehow dropped the ball for an error to extend the at-bat.

Rizzo then sliced a ground shot at third baseman Matt Chapman, a two-time Gold Glove winner, and the ball went through his legs for an error that allowed Sanchez to score the tying run.

Montgomery, who came in 5-5 but with a 3.69 ERA, including 2-0 with a 1.78 ERA in his previous five starts, has been plagued by a lack of run support this season, and that very much continued against the A’s. He has received three or fewer runs of support in 19 of his 24 starts this season and has received a total of nine runs in his last 11 starts, including Sunday’s.

Gomes and Jed Lowrie singled back-to-back with one out in the fourth, but Montgomery looked as if he had gotten out of it when Chapman sent a grounder that had double play written all over it to Urshela, a gifted defender — who booted it for an error that loaded the bases.

Canha then worked the count full before bouncing one to Wade, who made a slow underhand flip to DJ LeMahieu. The Yankees turned the 6-4-3 double play anyway, but the A’s challenged, saying Canha had beaten the relay throw to first. Replay in New York agreed, and Oakland had a 1-0 lead.

By Erik Boland

erik.boland@newsday.comeboland11

Erik Boland started in Newsday's sports department in 2002. He covered high school and college sports, then shifted to the Jets beat. He has covered the Yankees since 2009.