CINCINNATI _ Those searching for warts in the Yankees' bolt to the top of the American League East standings six weeks into the season found one to seize on Tuesday night.
Veteran CC Sabathia struggled a fourth straight outing, allowing five second-inning runs in a 5-3 loss to the Reds in front of 22,035 at Great American Ball Park that ended the Yankees' six-game winning streak.
Sabathia, who had a 1.47 ERA after his first three starts of the season but was 0-1 with a 10.43 ERA over his next three starts, allowed five runs and seven hits over six innings.
The left-hander, who walked two and struck out two, did allow just one hit over his last four innings.
Now, for the big-picture: even with the loss, the Yankees (21-10) finished the two-city trip 4-1 and are still atop the AL East.
They're off Wednesday before starting a four-game series against the AL West-leading Astros Thursday at the Stadium.
An offense that entered the night leading the AL in runs (177), runs per game (5.90), homers (50), OBP (.357), slugging (.463) and OPS (.820) received early home runs from Gary Sanchez and Didi Gregorius but otherwise was held in check.
The Yankees went 1-for-6 with runners in scoring position and stranded eight.
Right-hander Tim Adleman allowed three runs and five hits over five innings for the Reds (18-15). Michael Lorenzen pitched two scoreless innings and Raisel Iglesias pitched the final two innings _ the ninth a bit of a struggle _ for his sixth save.
The Yankees did, as they've done in quite a few of their losses, made it interesting late. Iglesias walked Aaron Hicks and Matt Holliday with one out, bringing Sanchez to the plate. The catcher smoked a 1-and-1 fastball but right to third, starting a 5-4 double play to end it.
Sabathia had the lead before throwing a pitch.
Sanchez worked the count full before slamming a 91-mph fastball to left for his second homer of the season and a 1-0 lead. The blast, estimated at 448 feet, improved the catcher to 7-for-13 since returning from the DL last Friday in Chicago.
Gregorius stepped into a 1-and-0 changeup with one out in the second, hammering it to right for his second homer of the season and a 2-0 lead.
In the bottom half.
Scott Schelber and Jose Peraza started the inning with consecutive singles and Devin Mesoraco walked to load the bases.
Sabathia recovered to strike out Adleman, the pitcher, but Hamilton followed with a ground smash, on a 3-and-1 fastball, that clipped the glove of a diving Ronald Torreyes at third, the two-run single tying it at 2. Cozart's liner to left again loaded the bases.
Votto then sent a straight 92-mph fastball past a diving Castro for a two-run single that gave the Reds a 4-2 lead, leaving runners at the corners. Duvall lined a 1-0 changeup to left to make it 5-2 and Green was soon warming in the bullpen.
Sabathia stopped it there, and ended up retiring 10 straight.
The Yankees cut into the lead in the fourth. Castro led off with a double, improving him to 7-for-20 on the trip, and Ellsbury walked. Judge grounded into a 6-4-3 double play, but Gregorius brought in Castro with a broken-bat flare to right that made it 5-3.
The Yankees loaded the bases with two outs in the sixth against Lorenzen but Torreyes grounded into a 6-4 force to end the threat.
They stranded Gardner at second in the seventh when Sanchez struck out and Castro flied to right.
Dellin Betances walked Cozart and Votto to start the bottom of the seventh but struck out the next three batters.
