Yes, this one’s on Aroldis Chapman . . . but Miguel Andujar and Greg Bird, too

BOSTON

Aroldis Chapman struck out the side in the ninth inning at Fenway Park on Sunday night.

Now for the rest of the story . . .

Chapman blew a save for the first time since May 4 by allowing three runs in the ninth to the Red Sox. It’s hard to imagine a worse regular-season time for that to happen.

The Yankees went on to a crushing 5-4 defeat when Andrew Benintendi bounced a walk-off two-out single up the middle off Jonathan Holder in the 10th.

It’s hard to imagine a worse regular-season loss for the 2018 Yankees.

The Red Sox swept the four-game showdown series and lead the AL East by 9 1⁄2 games. The Yankees can forget about the division. Starting Monday night in Chicago against the White Sox, they somehow have to shake off one of the worst four-game showings in franchise history and concentrate on maintaining a wild-card spot and living to fight the Red Sox another day in the postseason.

The Yankees were poised for a face-saving victory after rallying for four runs in the seventh. They nursed a 4-1 lead into the ninth before it all fell apart. Chapman walked three batters, gave up a two-run single by J.D. Martinez and then watched in horror as Miguel Andujar and Greg Bird failed him on what should have been the game-ending out.

Chapman gets the blown save on his ledger, but Andujar and Bird could have saved the closer.

The Yankees were leading 4-3 with runners on first and second and two outs when Chapman got Xander Bogaerts to ground one to Andujar.

The rookie third baseman — whose defense seems to be getting worse by the day — backed up on the ball, hesitated and threw a sidearm one-hopper to first.

Bird, who entered the game for defense in the seventh, overstretched on the scoopable throw and watched it pop out of his glove. Pinch runner Jackie Bradley Jr., who had been on second, steamed around third to score the tying run without a throw.

It was bedlam at Fenway, and it would be again on Benintendi’s winning hit the following inning. But the blame for this Yankees debacle falls at the feet of Chapman, Andujar and Bird.

Chapman had converted 22 straight save opportunities and 29 of 30 this season. Every closer will have an off night, and Chapman couldn’t find the plate Sunday. Still, when it mattered, he got the grounder to third that should have ended the night with a Yankees win.

Andujar was considered a defensive “work in progress” when he took the third-base job away from an injured Brandon Drury. The rookie clearly is regressing, but the Yankees need his big bat.

Aaron Boone will have to consider replacing Andujar for defense in the late innings or even using him as the designated hitter more often and playing Neil Walker at third. Ronald Torreyes needs to return to be that late-inning defender in September, when the rosters expand, if not sooner.

“[Andujar is] just laying back on some balls too much,” Boone said. “Those are balls that he’s got to start attacking a little bit more. He made some really good plays over there and even this weekend, but definitely a tough one that he’s got to learn from, we’ve got to learn from and continue to help him grow over there because of obviously how important he is to us.”

As for Bird, he could not make a do-or-die play. Andujar’s hesitation could have thrown off Bird’s timing, but a good first baseman should squeeze that throw, not box it.

“Birdie’s pretty good in the dirt over there at picking those balls,” Boone said. “Certainly a play he had a chance to make that just popped out, obviously.”

Coulda, woulda, shoulda. Now the team’s fans must hope that this series won’t be the final word on the 2018 Yankees.

“We can’t let this define what’s been a great season for us,” Boone said. “And knowing that, we’ve got to get on that flight and get ready for Chicago.”