GRAY SKY

MIKE Trout’s career game, even by his lofty standards, had plenty to do with the end result. But Sonny Gray followed up his finest start of the season with yet another clunker. Gray coughed up an early 4-1 lead and couldn’t survive the fourth inning in the Yankees’ 11-4 loss to the Angels on Saturday night at the Stadium.

Gray encouragingly had worked a season-high eight innings of one-run ball five days earlier in Kansas City, but the righty was rocked for five runs on seven hits – including a go-ahead homer by Trout, who went 5-for-5 with 11 total bases and four RBI – before being yanked with two down in the fourth.

“The stuff was good, just the results weren’t,” Gray said after his ERA for the year ballooned a halfrun to 5.98 over 10 starts. “Trout’s an unbelievable player and I think he kind of showed that tonight. He put some good swings on the ball and ultimately in the fourth, he hit that homer and ultimately that was the icing on the cake for me.

“It sucks, especially when you give up a run in the first and we come back with two and then come back with two the next inning and you’re sitting 4-1, feeling pretty good where you’re at. But I don’t think I got a leadoff hitter out all night and that can make for a long game for a starter.”