The Yankees are through 101 games and are operating at an 85-win pace. Along the way nine different players have spent time starting a game in left field this season.

It would not necessarily be a problem if the defense was faring well but often left fielders allow hits with really low expected batting averages. In other words, those are plays that typically get made.

It was noticeable in the third game of the four-game “Subway Series” when the Yankees fell behind by seven and wound up with a 9-3 loss that essentially was over by midgame.

Besides allowing three homers which usually have an expected average of 1,000, they gave up two hits with expected averages of .030 and .050.

One was a bloop single that seemed to appear in what’s known as “no-man’s land” falling between the shortstop, left fielder and center field in short left-center, an area where in softball a 10th defender might play. That put the Yankees behind for good mere minutes into the proceedings and considering how Justin Verlander fared despite his four walks, it was a tough uphill climb.

The other occurred when the Yankees were one out away from getting through the third. Instead Francisco Lindor hit a fly ball that left fielder Billy McKinney could not make a diving catch against. After a two-strike walk to Jeff McNeil, Alonso blasted a three-run homer for a four-run lead and that was that.

“Some of those balls kind of snuck in there, but that’s really just part of the game,” Bader said. “We’re going to continue to work, continue to be a unit out there and just kind of go from there, learn from tonight.”

According to Statcast, the Yankees have allowed 12 hits with those expected batting averages of .050 or lower. Only Texas and Oakland are worse.

“Regardless of who’s to my left or right, regardless of their level or how many years they’ve played at that position, it’s my job to command that unit out there and establish communication and establish what’s expected,” Bader said.

A lack of left field defense did not cost the Yankees the game entirely but it certainly did not help, which is among the reasons the left field area figures to be among their main priorities in terms of seeking upgrades between now and next Tuesday when the trade deadline comes and goes.

Excluding the one game Giancarlo Stanton played in left field and the 15 played by Aaron Hicks before his release in May, the combined salary of the other seven left fielders is about $10.6 million. It is about $6.5 million less than Bellinger is making on a one-year contract.

Bellinger was signed after hitting .193 over the previous two seasons with the Dodgers. Now he is looking like the player who batted .267, .260 and .305 in his first three seasons by hitting .314 with 14 homers and 45 RBIs. He also is hitting .378 over his last 30 games and that includes July 7 when he made himself more attractive to the Yankees by homering into the second deck in Carlos Rodon’s Yankee debut on July 7.

Bellinger’s impressive homer run that night is part of a Cubs’ surge that has seem them win nine of 14 to get within two games of .500. During that surge the Cubs have scored five runs or more nine times and this somewhat hot streak puts them five games back of the final wild-card spot in the NL and two in front of the 47-53 Mets.

While Bellinger only has 40 games of left field experience, it seems plausible to think he can thrive there since he has been an above average defender which is certainly better than some of the left field play displayed by the Yankees.

The Yankees have numerous flaws, which is how you get to 53-48 or 45-47 against any team not named the Oakland Athletics or Kansas City Royals. In games against the two worst teams in baseball, the Yankees own a plus-41 run differential and in games against everyone else they are outscored by 32 runs.

Of course the Yankees could have solved their left field problems by signing Bellinger with the belief he is on a prove it deal that based on his first three months will get him a multi-year deal.

Now their latest loss exposed the flawed area of left field defense which becomes more noticeable when there is hardly enough offense.