"It's not a case of somebody dogging it down the line, it's a case of him pulling up, incorrectly, a mistake that obviously can't happen," manager Aaron Boone said.

Too often, especially of late during an 12-19 skid, the Yankees have been hurt by fundamental mistakes on the bases, with Friday night serving as the latest example.

ATLANTA — Yankees rookie infielder Jorbit Vivas never was in danger of being benched Friday night after his embarrassing baserunning mistake in the third inning of a 7-3 loss to the Braves. Pulling Vivas from the game, in fact, never crossed manager Aaron Boone’s mind.

The Yankees (53-44), who have lost three straight, fell three games behind the Blue Jays in the American League East.

Relievers Mark Leiter Jr. (left fibular head stress reaction) and Fernando Cruz are making progress in their respective recoveries. Leiter could get on a mound for a light bullpen session as soon as the Yankees’ next series against the Blue Jays in Toronto that begins Monday.

In their first game out of the All-Star break, the Yankees decided to throw a bullpen game. The plan put the team in a fast hole, while Jorbit Vivas made a big mistake on the bases.

Jorbit Vivas takes flight for an awesome diving snag to put one away for the Yankees.