It was the hit Jason Giambi had been waiting eight months to get, and finally, yesterday against the Orioles, Giambi took one for a ride over the Yankee Stadium fence.

Joe Torre was saying yesterday morning how much he’s liked Giambi’s at-bats this season and how it was just a matter of time before the slugging first baseman really crushed one.

“I think he’s fine,” Torre was saying before yesterday’s 8-5 matinee win against the Orioles. “I think he’s getting a pretty good look at it . . . It looks like he’s been on the ball. I like his at-bats.”

Well, Torre certainly liked Giambi’s trip to the plate in the fourth inning in which No. 25 worked the count full against Baltimore starter Bruce Chen and then got medieval on the 3-2 delivery for his first home run of the young season. Giambi struck out swinging his first at-bat in the second but helped to get the Bombers back into this one in the fourth with his first tater since last fall.

“I’m right where I want to be,” Giambi said afterward. “It was nice to get the first one.”

His home run was the only blast given up by Chen, who went six innings and allowed three runs with no walks before Baltimore relievers choked the game away in the seventh inning.