NEW YORK -- The Yankees believed that Gerrit Cole’s return from the injured list would solve any remaining concerns about their rotation, as an example of the rich getting richer. This week has not played out that way, as Carlos Rodón’s early exit sent the Bombers to their second lopsided defeat in as many days.

Rodón was hit hard and often, allowing eight runs (seven earned) in his shortest start of the year as the Yankees were trounced by the Braves, 8-1, on Friday evening at Yankee Stadium. New York has lost five of its past six games, permitting 51 runs over that span.

“They came out swinging,” Rodón said. “They did some damage on some fastballs. They attacked me at my strengths and they executed their swings. I’ve got to tip my cap to them. Obviously, not the way I wanted it to go, but I’ve just got to turn the page on that one. That was rough.”

Ozzie Albies, Austin Riley and Matt Olson all homered off Rodón, who permitted 11 hits over 3 2/3 innings. The Braves’ game plan was to be aggressive against Rodón, and they showed it by pouncing immediately.

Jarred Kelenic laced the lefty’s first pitch for a single, Albies homered to the left-field seats on Rodón’s second, and Atlanta was off and rolling toward its fourth straight win. Albies and Riley homered off fastballs, Olson on a slider.

"There's going to be ups and downs throughout the year,” said outfielder Juan Soto. “Nobody said it's going to be easy to go through the whole year. Nobody says it's going to be flowers to roll all the way to the World Series.”

When Rodón returned after the top of the first inning, television cameras caught him yelling at a member of the coaching staff. Manager Aaron Boone dismissed it as a non-issue, saying that he had “no issue with his intensity coming out, wanting and expecting more.” Rodón explained the display as being “just pissed off at the situation.”

“I gave up three runs, two homers,” Rodón said. “That’s pretty much why.”

The ugly outing followed a similarly rough effort that saw Luis Gil yanked in the second inning against the Orioles on Thursday. Spanning those contests, the Yankees tied a club record for runs allowed in consecutive innings (nine), last done on June 16-18, 1940.

“It’s been a rough week for us,” Boone said. “That’s part of it. In a lot of ways, it’s not the worst thing to happen. I want to make sure in a lot of areas we’re tightened up. Everything’s kind of gone our way, and it’s a reminder that, hey, this thing is hard.”

Boone said that Rodón made tweaks that permitted him to last into the fourth inning. Rodón mostly leaned on his fastball (30) and slider (28), as is his norm, but he sprinkled in the changeup (20), curveball (12) and cutter (3) to get through.

“I should have made an adjustment quicker and tried to get to the slow stuff,” Rodón said.

Rodón was outpitched convincingly by Chris Sale, who held the Yanks to a run and one hit over five innings while joining the Royals’ Seth Lugo and the Phillies’ Ranger Suárez as the Majors’ only 10-game winners.

“That looked a lot like Sale when he’s been at his best,” Boone said.

Rodón, who dropped his second straight start, had snapped a seven-start winning streak last time out on June 15 against the Red Sox at Fenway Park. Including that contest, Rodón has permitted 13 runs (12 earned) over his past 8 2/3 innings.

“Looking back at Boston, it seemed they attacked the fastball up in the zone and got to the slider,” Rodón said. “Later in the game, I started mixing some soft stuff in and strung together a couple of zeroes at the end. Going into this start, it was kind of the same plan, where they were attacking the heater.”

The Yankees have been busy reshaping their taxed bullpen this week, having had to cover 17 1/3 innings of relief work in the past three games. Cole was limited to four innings on Wednesday; his early exit was anticipated, but not so for Gil and Rodón.

Right-hander Yoendrys Gómez, who was added to the roster earlier Friday, tossed 4 2/3 scoreless frames behind Rodón. It was the Yanks’ longest relief outing since Jhony Brito pitched five innings last Aug. 12 at Miami.

“That was big,” Boone said. “Obviously, the last few days have been pretty rough, having to lean on the ‘pen and not having a lot of guys available tonight. That was one of the little things that happens in a game where you’re out of it that can maybe help you win a game tomorrow.”