TORONTO — The Yankees should have been off the field down just one run halfway through their first shot at paying back the Blue Jays for what went down at Rogers Centre on the last day of June and the first three days in July.

Designated hitter Giancarlo Stanton stayed hot in homering in the fourth for a 1-0 Yankees lead Monday night, the Blue Jays countered in the fifth when Bo Bichette laced a two-out, two-run double off laboring lefty Carlos Rodon and then speedy outfielder Myles Straw hit a groundball a couple steps to third baseman Oswald Peraza’s left.

Even though Straw is a burner who had a little head start to first base because he hits left-handed, this should have been inning over with a defensive whiz out there playing third. Peraza made the pick easily, but whipped a rushed throw that sailed so far up the first-base line that Paul Goldschmidt had no shot of spearing it.

Another run scored.

It was ditto one batter later when shortstop Anthony Volpe made a throwing error that made it a four-run inning, the Blue Jays were up 4-1, and that’s how this showdown series opener ended.

This was another sting for the Yankees, who now trail the first-place Jays by four games in the AL East because they’re 0-5 in Toronto.

The run total for Tuesday’s Yankees versus Blue Jays game is set at 9 over on DraftKings. Our complete DraftKings Sportsbook review shows you how to sign up and use their platform.

The clock is tick, tick, ticking away for a quick fix before the July 31 trade deadline, which will come and go a week from Thursday.

In the losing clubhouse Monday, manager Aaron Boone and a couple of his players, Rodon and Volpe, didn’t sound concerned at all about the standings even though they probably should. They all think 100 games down with 62 to go is tons of time to keep this Yankees ship that GM Brian Cashman built from Titanic-ing.

This Boone-era mojo shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone who follows the Yankees because weeks and weeks of inconsistent baseball never leads to anyone in-house acting or sounding like panicky fans.

Here’s the deal, though:

The Yankees are 13-20 since they won three in a row in Kansas City heading into a weekend in Boston in the middle of June.

During this time, areas of need have been exposed,

The Yankees need bullpen help with Fernando Cruz and Mark Leiter on the injured list, Jake Cousins missing the whole season, Jonathan Loaisiga really struggling and Ian Hamilton inconsistent.

Their biggest issue, of course, is third base.

With Oswaldo Cabrera done for the year with a fractured ankle, DJ LeMahieu released and Jazz Chisholm back at second base, Peraza and rookie Jorbit Vivas sharing the hot corner duties are bringing jack squat.

Cashman has to trade for someone better.

You know who they really want.

They want the same guy that the Tigers really want, the guy the Cubs, Brewers and Mariners want.

Someone’s probably getting Eugenio Suarez, who leads the NL with 36 homers and 86 RBI, because the Diamondbacks, 50-51 and 5 ½ games out of the last NL wild-card spot, surely soon will decide to move their walk-year trade chips for prospects.

What we’re hearing is that the AL Central-leading (and slumping) Tigers, who now are just a half-game up on the Blue Jays for the best AL record, are willing to give up some of the best prospects in their very deep farm system to load up for the playoffs.

With nothing close to an Aaron Judge in their lineup, the Tigers need Suarez as much or more than the Yankees, who have an untouchable No. 1 prospect that everyone wants, 20-year-old Double-A shortstop George Lombard Jr.

For Suarez, will the Yankees give up No. 2 prospect Spencer Jones, a 6-foot-7 center fielder who has 10 homers in 16 games since his June 27 promotion to Triple-A?

Probably not.

How much payroll will Yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner allow Cashman to take on? The club is already projected to pay about $50 million in luxury-tax penalties on a payroll that is above $241 million.

If the Yankees don’t get Suarez, their choice for an upgrade might be bringing back Pirates shortstop Isiah Kiner-Falefa to play third base. IKF, who was the Yankees’ starting shortstop in 2022 and a valuable super-utility player in 2023, is having a pretty decent offensive season with the Pirates, hitting .274 with one homer, 24 RBI and 12 steals in 87 games.

Other probable available third basemen include three big names with big contracts and lackluster offensive stats, the Cardinals’ Nolan Arenado (.241, 10 HR, 42 RBI), the Rockies’ Ryan McMahon (.218, 15 HR, 32 RBI) and the Pirates’ Ke’Bryan Hayes (.240, 2 HR, 33 RBI).

It’s believed the Yankees have no interest in Arenado because at 34 he’s not close to what he was as a hitter in his prime years and he’ll make $27 million in 2026 (with $5 million being paid by the Rockies).

As of Monday, the Yankees weren’t close to finalizing anything because there still are several teams that want to wait a little longer before deciding to buy, sell or stand pat.

“Who’s available? Who’s not? It continues to evolve on a daily basis,” Boone said. “As you get closer, more teams are in or out.

“You don’t know (now), so it seems quiet. But you never know what happens as the days unfold.”

The Yankees want to be aggressive, but will they?

Fans don’t want Cashman to settle for something underwhelming and say the Yankees didn’t match up or the cost was too high for something they coveted.

As badly as the Yankees have played for about five weeks, they’re still 10 games over .500 and in a playoff spot with a chance to get a lot better by August 1.

The clock is ticking.

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Randy Miller may be reached at [email protected].

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