BOSTON — And Yankee fans wonder why their team is seven games under .500 and 13½ games out of first place?

Check out the seventh inning yesterday and how many extra outs New York handed the Red Sox.

New York had a 6-5 lead entering the inning with Scott Proctor, he of the ejection, hit-batsman episode with Kevin Youkilis from the night before, on the mound.

David Ortiz, the first batter, hit a ball high and far to right. Bobby Abreu drifted back and misplayed it, the ball landing over his head as he neared the Yankee bullpen fence. It was a gift double. That’s one extra out, and plenty more to come.

After an intentional walk to Manny Ramirez, Proctor, clearly afraid to come anywhere close to Youkilis after grazing his helmet with a pitch the previous night for fear he’d be suspended, walked him on four pitches that were away and in the dirt. Bases loaded, none out.

Mike Lowell hit a grounder to second baseman Robinson Cano, a ball that should have resulted in a double play, one run and a tie game.

But Cano’s throw was wide of shortstop Derek Jeter as he came across the bag. Jeter caught the ball but had to do a 360-degree-spin-and-throw move to first. He bounced a tough throw to first baseman Doug Mientkiewicz.

The ball beat Lowell and Mientkiewicz tried to hang with it, but it hopped off his glove and he was plowed over by Lowell. The Yankee first baseman lay face down and not moving in the dirt as the ball rolled away, allowing another run to score. That’s extra out number two.

After a walk, Wily Mo Pena scorched a grounder to Jeter, an inning-ending DP ball. It went off his glove and through his legs. Two more extra outs.

Coco Crisp’s shallow fly dropped in front of Melky Cabrera in center, but he could have thrown out Jason Varitek, running from second, on a forceout at third. But third baseman Alex Rodriguez had raced into the cutoff position in front of home plate, so third base was unoccupied. Another extra out.

That meant five extra outs, making it, in effect, an eight-out inning for Boston.

The inning ultimately produced five runs and a 10-6 lead for the opportunistic, little-can-go-wrong Red Sox, leaving one Yankee player likely concussed, the rest with egg all over their faces and owner George Steinbrenner no doubt in a state of apoplexy.

“We had an ugly seventh inning, no question,” said Yankee manager Joe Torre. “We just didn’t close the deal. There were defensive plays we didn’t make. You give any team extra outs and it’s dangerous. You give this team extra outs and it’s suicide.”

Yanks pitch around Ramirez

Torre clearly has a lot of respect for the Sox’ Ramirez, who has gotten hot after a very slow start.

Twice Torre ordered Ramirez walked intentionally.

In the fifth, with Boston ahead, 3-1, and runners at second and third with two outs, Torre had Mike Mussina walk Ramirez, bringing up Youkilis, the Red Sox’ hottest hitter.

Youkilis had a 23-game hitting streak entering yesterday’s game, during which time he was batting .426 (43-for-101). Still, who would you rather face, Ramirez or a red-hot Youkilis?

Torre chose Youkilis, and the result was good for the Yanks. Youkilis flied to deep center, leaving the bases filled.

In the seventh, with New York on top, 6-5, Torre had Proctor walk Ramirez with a runner at second and none out. This time it didn’t work out so well. Youkilis walked and by the time the inning was over Boston had five runs and a 10-6 lead.

Torre slow to lift Mussina

Torre made another decision or two that backfired on him and the Yanks.

He left Mussina in to start the sixth after New York had taken a 5-3 lead in the top of the inning. Mussina had thrown 78 pitches, with a rain delay mixed in, and Torre had Proctor warmed up in the bullpen.

Lowell led off by crunching a 3-and-2 pitch into the first row of the Monster seats, making it a 5-4 game. Still, Torre left Mussina to face Varitek because Varitek was a paltry 7-for-59 (.119) in his career against Mussina. Varitek had bounced into a double play in each of his first two at-bats yesterday.

On an 0-and-1 pitch, though, Varitek drilled a homer to center, tying the score at 5-5.

So Torre, who had been booed at home a few weeks ago for lifting Mussina and having the bullpen blow a lead for him, was burned this time for leaving him in too long. Proctor came in after Varitek’s homer.

Francona gets off the hook

Boston manager Terry Francona wasn’t perfect in the decision-making department yesterday, either.

With the game tied at 5-5 in the seventh, Francona had his ace left-hander, Hideki Okajima, warmed up in the bullpen. He also had Joel Pineiro, who has been so-so, warmed up.

Francona called for Pineiro. Jeter homered into the Monster seats. Yankees 6, Red Sox 5.

But all was well that ended well for the Sox. Francona brought in Okajima later in the inning, the first time in 19 games he had been called upon with Boston losing, and the Red Sox made him a winner by surging past New York for the victory.

skrasner@projo.com