#Deivi Garcia sent back down after uneven Yankees audition

BALTIMORE — The Yankees didn’t call up Deivi Garcia until they needed a sixth starter — and that’s pretty much what the right-hander pitched like on Monday night.

The 21-year-old right-hander wasn’t the reason the Yankees lost to the Orioles — a lethargic offense and poor baserunning had much more to do with it — but Garcia didn’t exactly stake a claim to a rotation spot.

After the game, he was optioned back to the alternate site in Scranton to open up a spot for another pitcher. Michael King is eligible to return Tuesday after being sent down.

Garcia gave up a long homer to Cedric Mullins, who unloaded on a 92 mph fastball on Garcia’s second pitch of the game, reaching Eutaw Street beyond the seats in right.

In the second, Freddy Galvis drilled an RBI double to left-center, scoring Pedro Severino from first to give Baltimore a 2-0 lead.

But Garcia managed to fight through a tough fourth inning without giving up another run in a 4-2 loss at Camden Yards.

“He got into some trouble and made some pitches when he had to,’’ Aaron Boone said. “He did his job and gave us a chance. We just couldn’t mount enough [offense].”

Garcia’s outing ended after 65 pitches and four innings.

He called it “a learning experience [and] a competitive one, too.”

“I felt like I had to battle every single pitch,’’ Garcia said through an interpreter.

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Mired in a 2-for-36 slump, Clint Frazier started against a right-hander on Monday and walked twice.

“He definitely struggled there for a couple weeks,’’ Boone said. “I thought he had some really strong at-bats [Sunday]. … I do see some progress with him.”

Boone pointed again to Frazier’s “really good strike-zone knowledge. He’s not a guy that chases a lot. He has tremendous bat speed. He’s very strong. He’a a strong, strong dude. For him, it’s about having a game plan and understanding what teams and pitchers are trying to do. Make sure you get off your ‘A’ swing and be in position to do that.”

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Aaron Hicks was back in the lineup Monday after sitting Sunday with back tightness, but went 0-for-4. Hicks has been largely unproductive from the left side of the plate and was bumped to seventh in the order.

**Since returning from Scranton, Ford has also been sporting a moustache. “We did it as a joke at the alternate site,’’ he said. “The first guy called up was definitely gonna shave it. When I got up I said, ‘I’m not gonna shave it. I think we’re 4-2 with it [going into Monday]. I’ll keep riding with it and see where it goes.”