… they uncorked a stink-bomb of a game in New York.

The winningest team in baseball played like the worst team in baseball. The Angels made four errors, officially, made a batch more mental mistakes that could have been errors and another handful that were brain cramps. They gave the Yankees six walks and allowed them to steal two bases.

It was ugly. And involved not only a blown 5-0 lead, but a wasted go-ahead grand slam by Mark Teixeira in the eighth — and 10 (!) unearned runs scored by the Yankees in the seventh and eighth innings.

So, let’s hold the applause, please, for your Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. They’re not the juggernaut we were about to brand them.

Their biggest issues?

1. Defense. This is not a good defensive team. They just down-graded at first base, where Teixeira takes over for Casey Kotchman. Shortstop now is a problem with Erick Aybar subbing for Maicer Izturis, who has a sprained thumb and is out indefinitely. Howie Kendrick is nothing special at 2B.

Chone Figgins is a jack of all positions and master of none, which he showed with multiple misplays (only one of which went for an error) in a tragicomic, clutch-time display at third base.

Vladimir Guerrero is a minus fielder in right (though he had nothing to do with Sunday’s mess), and it’s hard to remember that Gary Matthews Jr. ever was an elite center fielder, because the fly ball he dropped in the seventh inning led to a four-run Yankees surge. Can the Angels arrange it so that no more of Torii Hunter’s relatives die; they really missed his glove over the weekend.

2. The bullpen. It wasn’t just bad defense Sunday, though that was a lot of it. It also was about relievers who couldn’t get a first-pitch strike. It was about John Lackey seeming to lose his composure when Matthews and Reggie Willits seemed to quail from each other — and let a catchable fly ball land for a double. The bullpen is a little shaky. Scot Shields was lights out in 2004-06 but hasn’t been the same since. Chris Speier hasn’t been right all year. Frankie Rodriguez has tons of saves but the softest stats he ever has put up.

So, the Angels finish what had been a sensational trip, eight games in (with seven victories, including three in Boston and two in New York) with a pair of defeats. And at times like this, especially after Sunday’s disastrous game, you wonder if this team peaked early. You wonder what it really is all about, given this absolute meltdown.

You wonder how they will perform under the pressure of the playoffs.

I still like their chances. But the American League is tough, and even with home-field advantage (which is theirs if they keep the best-record thing) … can they beat Boston or New York in October? They haven’t had much playoffs success of late.

Right through Friday night, they looked like a machine. Just churning out victories. Now they have demonstrated they are not that overpowering team, but something a bit less.

How much less? That’s what we will find out.