NEW YORK — Maybe it was the frustration of losing as much as they had been.

The news of catcher Danny Jansen being traded to the Brewers, and Nick Fortes coming in from the Miami Marlins as a replacement, or just the always interesting sounds and scenes of Yankee Stadium.

Whatever it was, the Tampa Bay Rays were going to take it, and the 4-2 victory over the Yankees that came with it Monday night.

The win halted a four-game losing streak, moved the Rays a game back above .500 at 54-53 and — they hope — showed their bosses they still have a chance to make a run at a playoff spot.

The Rays grabbed a 2-0 lead in the first on Junior Caminero’s 27th homer of the season, much to the delight of his parents, younger brother and other relatives who made the trip from the Dominican Republic.

With two outs, Jonathan Aranda drew a walk from Cam Schlittler, then Caminero launched a 2-1 slider at 108.6 mph over the left-center field fence.

Caminero hadn’t homered since July 23 and went 1 for 12 over the weekend in Cincinnati.

Before Monday’s game, manager Kevin Cash said he hadn’t noticed anything major amiss.

“I didn’t see anything,” Cash said. “Maybe some more swing-and-miss for a guy that hits the ball out of the ballpark and makes as much contact, a little uncharacteristic. He swung through some fastballs, chased some sliders, but know that he’s working pretty hard now to make that adjustment and get get himself to where he’s competing with pitches in the strike zone.”

The lead didn’t last long, as Rays starter Drew Rasmussen had an uncharacteristically rough opening inning.

Rasmussen got one out, then allowed three consecutive singles — to Jasson Dominguez, Cody Bellinger and Giancarlo Stanton — that loaded the bases.

Worse, he then walked Jazz Chisholm Jr. to force in one run, then after striking out Paul Goldschmidt, walked new Yankee Ryan McMahon to score the tying run in what turned out to be a 33-pitch inning.

Rasmussen settled in from there, allowing only two other hits while working five innings.

The Rays took the lead again in the fifth. Yandy Diaz led off with a walk, went to second on a single by Aranda and scored on a one-out single by Josh Lowe.

After wasting a prime scoring opportunity in the seventh — runners on second and third with no outs — the Rays added to their lead in the eighth.

They loaded the bases on singles by Jose Caballero, Matt Thaiss and pinch-hitter Jonny DeLuca, and scored on Diaz’s sac fly.

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