TORONTO — David Robertson understands how deep of a hole the Yankees are in, heading into a 10-game homestand that opens tomorrow night at Yankee Stadium.
"They are the biggest games of the year, I hope we are up to the challenge,'' Robertson told The Post. "We have had our chances. Now we have to take nine of 10. I hope we can do it.''
Robertson was talking after an ugly 7-2 loss to the lowly Blue Jays last night in front of an announced crowd of 36,565 at Rogers Centre.
Coupled with the A's beating the Tigers, the Yankees' fourth loss in six games dropped them 5 1/2 lengths back in the chase for the second AL wild-card ticket.
AP
'RODA TO RUIN: Toronto's Rajai Davis scores from first in front of Yankees pitcher Hiroki Kuroda in the first inning of last night's 7-2 Yankees loss. A passed ball started the play on which two of the Blue Jays' four first-inning runs came across.AP
"We have to have a really, really good homestand,'' said manager Joe Girardi, whose reeling club opens with three against the Orioles, plays the putrid White Sox for three then gets the AL East-leading Red Sox in The Bronx for four.
Watching the Yankees play last night, it's hard to believe they can take nine of 10 from anybody.
Hiroki Kuroda, their best pitcher across the entire season, was punished for seven runs (five earned) and nine hits in five innings.
Chris Stewart committed a costly two-run throwing error in the first inning after a called third strike glanced off his mitt with two outs and two on. Had he been able to glove it, the inning would have been over and the Blue Jays would have scored just two runs instead of four.
Third base coach Rob Thomson tried to score Alex Rodriguez from first in the fourth on Mark Reynolds' double to right-center with the Yankees trailing, 7-2.
Finally, the Yankee hitters whiffed 13 times.
Kuroda was 3-0 with a 0.55 ERA in July and carried a 10-6 record and 2.51 ERA into August.
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Yet, when the Yankees needed Kuroda the most because of the struggles of CC Sabathia and Phil Hughes, he has been terrible. In five August starts the right-hander is 1-4 with a 5.12 ERA and has given up 41 hits in 31 2/3 innings.
Kuroda (11-10) has lost his past three starts, in which his ERA is an obese 8.10, and the 38-year-old is wilting in the stretch.
"At this time of the season, there are issues and you have to figure it out,'' said Kuroda, who was doomed by throwing 56 pitches in the first two innings that included Edwin Encarnacion's two-run homer in the second. "I have experienced it before and I have been able to regroup.''
Stewart, who called for a slider down and away and got a fastball to J.P Arencibia, was disgusted he tried to throw the ball to first to get Arencibia.
"I tried to force the issue. I should have eaten the ball,'' said Stewart, who had a compression wrap on his left forearm after getting hit while blocking a pitch. "It was a big blow.''
As for Thomson, he took full responsibility for sending the lumbering Rodriguez home.
"I made my decision too early. It was a bad decision," Thomson said. "I kind of took myself out of position and he got by me, and I couldn't change my mind. So all the way around, it was just a bad decision."
Of course, Thomson understands Rodriguez is limited on the bases due to last January's hip operation.
"Absolutely, that all factors in. Bad decision,'' Thomson said. "I compounded it, instead of staying up the line and letting the play develop, I moved past him. I should've maintained my position and let it play out. It probably would have been a different story.''
Now, according to Robertson, the Yankees need nine out of 10. Watching the Yankees last night, that sounds like a miracle.
george.king@nypost.com
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