“I think the effort’s there,” Manager Joe Girardi said. “I didn’t see guys trying to do too much.”

Gonzalez, a former Rule 5 draft choice by the Boston Red Sox whose career was nearly derailed by serious knee and elbow injuries, began the season pitching for Ciudad del Carmen of the Mexican League. But he has risen quickly, and has beaten the Yankees twice this season.

He allowed four runs in six and two-thirds innings against the Yankees on July 30 and was even better Friday, giving up four hits while walking one and striking out nine in seven innings.

“These games are all important for us,” Gonzalez said. “I think the adrenaline gets me going. It helps me out.”

Before the game, Girardi sought to ease the concern over his team’s latest slump — the Yankees have lost 9 of their last 14 — with a reminder that nearly a fifth of the season remains. He largely stuck with that talking point after the loss, but bristled at a question about whether he would address the team about not panicking.

“There are going to be low points, and there are going to be high points during the season,” Girardi said. “We’ve got to find a way to get out of this little rut we’re in.”