NEW YORK -- The Yankees are a franchise that loves to celebrate its magnificent history, though as they struggle to escape the throes of a difficult-to-watch losing streak, there is no need to revisit the glory of past decades. They’re just trying to get back to two weeks ago.

Watch the key plays of Friday’s 10-3 loss to the Mets at Citi Field -- Gary Sánchez missing a tag at home plate, Gio Urshela throwing a ball away, Gleyber Torres doing the same -- and it’s difficult to believe that this is the same group that reeled off a 13-game winning streak. But it is, and that’s what the Yankees must believe in.

“We’ve been the streakiest team in the league,” said infielder DJ LeMahieu. “One good game and the tides can turn in a hurry, like we’ve seen all year. We’ve either been playing really bad or we’ve been playing unbelievable, and not a whole lot in between.”

The Yankees have lost a season-high seven consecutive games and 11 of their last 13, threatening their postseason odds after a torrid 35-11 stretch that included the 13-game winning streak coming out of the Field of Dreams Game in Dyersville, Iowa. The Yanks did remain a half-game ahead of the Blue Jays, who lost to the Orioles, for the second American League Wild Card spot.

Despite Friday’s lapses, manager Aaron Boone believes his club remains focused, if miffed.

“I believe they know they are going to come out of this,” Boone said. “They’re expecting that to happen, each and every day.”

That may be true behind closed doors, but it wasn’t easy to tell from the seating area, with the New York rivals meeting for only the third September Subway Series since Interleague Play began in 1997.

The Yanks struck first, claiming their first lead in 38 innings as Brett Gardner tripled and scored on an Aaron Judge groundout, but the advantage did not last.

Yankees starter Jordan Montgomery seemed to be out of the first inning when Jonathan Villar was waved home on a Javier Báez single to left field, prompting a terrific throw by left fielder Joey Gallo that beat Villar by more than 20 feet.

Sánchez did not aggressively reach for Villar, and a video review showed the runner touched home plate before being tagged on the helmet.

“We need to play loose and just go right after teams,” Montgomery said. “We know we’re talented. We just came off a [13-game] win streak. That didn’t just happen. We’re just trying to get back to playing baseball like that.”

One to forget
Though Gallo cracked his 32nd homer of the season (and seventh with the Yankees) to right-center field in the second inning, the Yanks couldn’t mount anything further against rookie Tylor Megill, who struck out 10 over seven innings -- both career highs.

Montgomery said that he hoped to step up with Gerrit Cole and Jameson Taillon among the Yanks’ injured players, but the wheels came off for Montgomery in the third. A bases-loaded walk to Pete Alonso tied the game and Urshela threw wildly to home plate after stabbing a Báez grounder, seeing the go-ahead run score as the ball sailed past Sánchez.

“We’re trying to do the best,” Urshela said. “Errors are going to happen. We have to control what we can control. If we make an error, just keep going and stay focused for the next play.”

Jeff McNeil squeezed home another run with a bunt to the right side of the infield, Kevin Pillar lifted a sacrifice fly and James McCann doubled in a run against Montgomery, whose night ended after surrendering a fourth-inning homer to Francisco Lindor.

Montgomery was charged with a career-high seven runs (five earned) and seven hits over 3 1/3 innings.

“I was just never really ahead of any counts and didn’t make any big pitches when I needed to,” Montgomery said. “So I’ve just got to flush it.”

Ups and downs
Benched for two games earlier this week, Torres committed his 17th error -- second most among American League shortstops -- by throwing errantly to first on what should have been an inning-ending McCann double-play ball in the seventh, allowing two runs to score.

“I think it is a case of him trying a little bit too hard in that spot,” Boone said.

Anthony Rizzo hit a solo homer in the ninth to round out the scoring -- too late to make an impact in the outcome, but maybe something to build off for the rest of the weekend. They may truly be baseball’s streakiest team, as LeMahieu said. And if so, the Yanks must find their spark from somewhere.

“I think we’re beyond frustrated, but now is not the time to point fingers at anyone,” LeMahieu said. “Everyone needs to raise their game and collectively get out of it together.”