In middle of 14-run attack,

IT WAS nearly a year ago that Yankees starter Masahiro Tanaka stood at his locker and addressed reporters about what he called “one of the worst slumps” of his career.

At the time, the Japanese righthander had surrendered 14 combined earned runs over two starts and had pitched just 4.2 innings.

“You have to grind it out. You can’t put your head down,” Tanaka said through his translator last May 22. “Physically, there’s no problems at all. I feel fine.”

Call it déjà vu all over again. Monday at the Stadium, when Tanaka took the mound against the Twins for his fifth start of 2018, the $155 million pitcher was coming off two rough outings, giving up a combined 13 runs in two games — April 11 at Boston and April 17 against the Marlins at home. Tanaka did last five innings in each of those games, one a win (at Boston) and the other a loss.

“Hopefully we can get Masa going. I think Masa’s had a lot of stretches where he’s been really strong,” Yankee manager Aaron Boone said before Monday’s game. “He’s gotten beat up in a couple of short stretches where they’ve hit the ball out of the ballpark, so it’s flipped the line on him . . . . Even though his numbers aren’t great yet, I feel he’s really close to being the Masahiro Tanaka that we’re used to seeing.”

The 39,249 fans in the Bronx ballpark liked what they witnessed from Tanaka on a chilly Monday, when he pitched 6.2 innings, and gave up one run on three hits in the Bombers’ 14-1 demolition of Minnesota, their third straight win.