Yankees demoralized by usual punching-bag Twins as they struggle in every aspect of game

There are statistics, both basic and advanced, that demonstrate and contextualize the Yankees’ struggles through this plummet.From first-inning ERA to collective OPS to unearned run total to runs per game, they paint a picture that helps explain how the very best team in the American League through June 19, a date on which Aaron Boone’s club was 46-28, has been the very worst, at 3-12, since.More illustrative than any number, though, may be this: On Sunday they dropped a series to the Twins.

It was as if the Yankees unleashed on their perpetual punching bag, and the bag ricocheted back and whacked them in the face.Join Post Sports+ for exciting subscriber-only features, including real-time texting with Greg Joyce about the inside buzz on the Yankees.

With another demoralizing, bad-in-every-facet, 6-1 smacking in front of 39,155 unhappy fans in The Bronx, the Yankees lost for just a second time in their past 14 completed series against the Twins.Joe Ryan became the first Minnesota pitcher to throw seven shutout innings in the new Yankee Stadium and the first to do so at a Yankee Stadium since Johan Santana on July 27, 2005.The Yankees (49-40) have lost nine of 10 and now visit the division leaders in Tampa, where they were embarrassed back in April.

It is possible they will play without not just Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton but Jazz Chisholm Jr., who was pulled before the start of the sixth inning with a big toe injury for which he will be reexamined Monday.Traditionally over the past few years, the Yankees’ offense has collapsed without Judge — and that has remained true this year, having scored 47 runs in their past 17 games (2.76 per).On Sunday, they totaled three hits in seven innings against Ryan and managed two more against the Twins bullpen.But every other area of the game has caved in, too, such as their:— Defense, which let up two more unearned runs to make it 29 in 15 games.

There were obvious misplays, like Anthony Volpe’s failure t...