The booing from Yankee Stadium fans continued for Josh Donaldson on Thursday when he flew out in his first at-bat.
And then he — along with the rest of the Yankees’ defense — gave them a reason to criticize the fielding in the third inning against the Mariners.
Donaldson misplayed a grounder — one that only had a 45.2 mph exit velocity — from former Yankees infielder Mike Ford and lost control on the transfer when he tried to start a double play.
Then, when Eugenio Suarez broke for third since no one was covering, starter Domingo German couldn’t catch Donaldson’s throw, and Suarez scored as the ball bounced out of play.
That extended Seattle’s lead to 7-0.
Ford, who advanced to third following a replay review, later scored on a sacrifice fly to make it an eight-run deficit for the Yankees, who haven’t scored eight or more runs since scoring 10 against the Mariners on May 30.
Later in the frame, the disastrous defense from the Yankees continued.
Jarred Kelenic hit a soft grounder toward first baseman Anthony Rizzo, and the ball bounced off his glove when he tried a backhand attempt.
The final tally of the damage: two runs on no hits and three errors.
German allowed four runs on four hits in the first inning, including a bases-loaded double by Suarez, and to lead off the second inning, he allowed a home run to second baseman Kolten Wong — the No. 9 hitter who hadn’t recorded a homer this season.
He got the hook with one out in the third inning after allowing back-to-back homers to Teoscar Hernandez and Cal Raleigh.
It marked the second consecutive outing where German has struggled, as he lasted just two innings against Boston on June 16 and allowed seven runs.
For Donaldson, he has recorded just two hits in his last eight games, erasing any progress at the plate after hitting four homers in six games following an injured list stint.
And as his average dipped to .133, the booing has followed, including in the sixth inning of Tuesday’s game against the Mariners when he grounded into a double play to end the sixth inning.
