TORONTO — So much for those who believed Giancarlo Stanton would succumb to the pressure of playing for the Yankees and living up to ridiculous expectations.
It took Stanton two pitches Thursday in his first pinstripe at-bat to punish a J.A. Happ pitch, send it over the right-center field wall and introduce himself to the American League.
The first of Stanton’s two homers — he added a solo blast that reached the second deck in center in the ninth — backed an outstanding start by Luis Severino as the Yankees beat the Blue Jays, 6-1, on Opening Day in front of 48,115 at Rogers Centre.
“It was cool, man. I tried to be as calm as possible,’’ Stanton said of his mindset coming to the plate in the first inning with Brett Gardner on first after left fielder Curtis Granderson muffed a tailing line drive. “The anticipation was big for me and I was able to settle it down. It’s just a game, Opening Day and the first time as Yankee, but I was able to calm it down.’’
Stanton’s four RBIs combined with Severino’s gem, Chad Green’s dominating four-batter stint and Gardner’s seventh-inning homer made a winner out of Aaron Boone in his debut as a manager at any level. Boone is the 11th Yankee manager to win in his first game.
The only blemish on the victory that walked off the blueprint page was Dellin Betances giving up a leadoff homer to Kevin Pillar in the eighth.
While Stanton’s debut was impressive and included an all-time high in exit velocity (117.3 mph) at Rogers Centre on the first blast, Blue Jays manager John Gibbons showered Severino with praise.
“The key to the game was Severino, he shut us down pretty good,’’ Gibbons said of the right-hander, who didn’t allow a run in 5 ²/₃ innings, gave up one hit, walked three and whiffed seven. “Severino was the story, and Stanton. When Severino is on he dominates. He keeps getting better and better every year.’’
Severino’s only nervous moment surfaced in the first inning when he issued consecutive two-out walks to Justin Smoak and Granderson. Pitching coach Larry Rothschild visited the mound and Severino fanned Kendrys Morales to strand two.
Counting the strikeout of Morales, Severino retired eight straight until Granderson singled with one out in the fourth. With two outs and Josh Donaldson on second base in the sixth, Boone decided Severino’s day was done after 91 pitches.
“We were eyeing 90 pitches with him today and I thought those last four, five, six pitches he was starting to tire,’’ said Boone, who summoned Green to face Granderson who struck out on a 96-mph fastball.
Green fanned two of the three batters he faced in the seventh before Pillar homered on Betances’ first pitch of the eighth. It could have gotten tighter if second baseman Tyler Wade didn’t rob Aledmys Diaz of a hit with a terrific play up the middle and Devon Travis’ liner didn’t find first baseman Neil Walker’s glove.
Armed with a five-run bulge, Aroldis Chapman worked a perfect ninth, striking out two.
Following Stanton’s second homer the dugout dumped the silent treatment on him. He took it well and promised to get a better reaction to that if it happens again.
What the Yankees would love to happen often is Stanton crushing balls consistently the way he did Thursday.
“They are up there,’’ Stanton said when asked to rank the two homers with the others he has hit. “It’s always to get a good little start here. Keep it rolling in the series and 161 [games] to go.’’
