BOSTON — For years, the Yankees counted on CC Sabathia to be their stopper. Even in the latter part of his career, he has been adept at pitching well after losses.

The Yankees will look to him again on Saturday, after they dropped their second straight to the Red Sox, with yet another ugly showing by their rotation, as James Paxton was knocked around for seven runs in four innings in a 10-5 defeat at Fenway Park on Friday night.

“Just try and go out and have a good game,’’ Sabathia said of his mindset following the loss. “We’ve been struggling here the last couple of days. Hopefully I can go out pitch a good game and get a win.’’

It’s not a situation Sabathia and the Yankees figured to be in after taking two of three in Minnesota — though that’s where the leaks in the rotation really began to show.

Sabathia was a part of that slip. He allowed seven runs — six earned — in a loss to the Twins in his last outing on Monday.

The 39-year-old will face a tough task against a Red Sox offense that pounded Yankees pitching in the first two games of this series. Paxton’s struggles came after Masahiro Tanaka allowed a dozen runs in 3 ¹/₃ innings on Thursday, and overall, the Yankees gave up 29 runs in 16 innings between Thursday and Friday.

“It’s a good lineup,’’ Sabathia said of the Red Sox, who he has faced just once this season, when he allowed three runs in six innings in a June 2 loss in The Bronx. “I’ve faced it a bunch of times. I just want to go out, play a good game and get a win.”

Sabathia said he wasn’t overly concerned about the state of the rotation, which was pitching well until the previous time through.

“It’s baseball and the ups and downs of the big leagues,’’ Sabathia said.

That attitude is likely easier to maintain with the Yankees holding an 8½-game lead over second place Tampa Bay and nine over Boston, even after the past two games.

The Yankees, regardless of the standings, don’t want to breathe any life into the Red Sox’s season for a third consecutive game.

“We just want to play well,’’ Sabathia said. “We want to win the division and just keep playing good baseball. It starts [Saturday]. Just go out and try to get a win.”