The Yankees are .500 against teams above .500.
They dropped three of four this weekend to the Red Sox, against whom they have won just two of 10 contests this season.
Aaron Boone’s bunch has been smacked around by the class of the American League this season, a combined 7-19 against Boston, Toronto, Houston and Detroit.
But beating the best is a challenge for another day.
Wrecking the worst can get them to October, too.
That is exactly what they did Monday, when the Yankees made the Nationals’ pitching staff look as if it does not belong in a 10-5, series-opening destruction in The Bronx.
The Yankees (71-60) have won a pair since dropping three straight to the Red Sox and have to be more comfortable playing the NL East cellar dwellers than the AL contenders.
Ben Rice, Jazz Chisholm Jr. and Jasson Domínguez drilled home runs, Cody Bellinger drove in three and every Yankees starter tallied at least one hit for eight innings of the most encouraging, cleanly played and dominant evenings of the club’s season.
The ninth inning — in which Yerry De los Santos and Mark Leiter Jr. combined to allow five runs — was less aesthetically pleasing.
On a night that celebrated the musical “Hamilton,” Cam Schlittler (six scoreless innings) and the Yankees’ offense (12 hits, four walks) got the job done.
