In the funeral-parlor silence of a morose Rogers Centre clubhouse Sunday, David Robertson was asked if he recalled a conversation with The Post last Aug. 28, when the Yankees were headed for a crucial homestand after losing two of three to a dreadful Blue Jays’ club in Toronto.
“Yes I do,’’ Robertson said. “I said something like we needed to win seven or eight of 10.’’
Actually, it was nine — but the situation facing this team is similar to the challenges last year’s group didn’t meet. That club was 8 ½ games out of first place and five back in the race for the second AL wild-card spot.
When the Yankees welcome the last-place Red Sox to Yankee Stadium Tuesday night, they will be 8¹/₂ back of the runaway Orioles in the AL East and four games out of the second wild-card action. Instead of a 10-game homestand that started 5-1 and ended 6-4, the Yankees will play nine in The Bronx, where they are a pedestrian 33-31. The Royals — who are a half-game ahead of the Tigers in the AL Central — follow the Red Sox into the Stadium and the Rays finish it with three.
According to Robertson, this year isn’t as dire because he believes the team is better than a year ago.
“This is different because we are capable of going on a tear this year,’’ Robertson said of a team whose longest winning streak is five, which it has done twice. “We are still right there and it’s possible. There is a lot of time. These are big series and we have to win. We are a little more equipped to handle it this year.’’
Making a run to the postseason with 27 games remaining isn’t impossible. Yet, if the first five months of the season are an indicator — and they should be — the inconsistency of the lineup likely isn’t going to stop in the final month.
A spent Joe Girardi said Sunday, “We have a real important homestand coming up. We have nine games and we have to win a lot of them.’’
When the Yankees started a seven-game road trip last Monday in Kansas City, they were six games back of the Orioles and 3½ out in the wild-card race. A 5-2 record would have been productive; 4-3 not great but it figured to not bury them.
However, after they flushed a 3-0 lead Sunday in Toronto, the Yankees went home 3-4 with their October chances severely diminished.
Those hopes will be crushed if Mark Teixeira, Derek Jeter and Brian McCann don’t improve at the plate.
“Every game is important for us, no different home or the road,’’ said Jeter, who is in an 8-for-44 (.182) funk and has two hits in the last 13 at-bats with runners in scoring position. “We just happen to be going home.’’
At the Stadium, the out-of-town scoreboard in right field is impossible to ignore, even if Jeter says it’s not time to check on the other contenders.
“You look when it’s out of your control,’’ Jeter said. “Right now if we win our games we will be fine.’’
Until the Yankees are eliminated in the AL East, Jeter will remain positive because he has never exhibited any other way of thinking. But the Orioles aren’t going to be caught. The wild-card door is open but the field is crowded and the Yankees can’t afford a losing homestand that includes six games against the Red Sox and Rays, the worst teams in the division.
Nor can they go 5-4 and believe they will gain ground in the wild-card hunt.
The AL East is gone and a homestand resembling the recent road trip will have the pinstriped body bags unzipped and ready for loading.