Asked if he was surprised that Yankees fans have accepted him with such open arms, Johnny Damon admitted the obvious yesterday.

“Well, I wouldn’t go that far,” Damon said after the team’s 9-7 come-from-behind victory over Kansas City.

In fact, Damon heard a smattering of boos before his first at-bat in the home opener. And the groans grew much louder when he meekly whiffed on three pitches during an eighth-inning rally – although Captain Clutch, aka Derek Jeter, saved the day by following with the go-ahead three-run bomb.

“It’s definitely going to be a much easier night to sleep,” a relieved Damon said.

The former Boston center fielder was cheered during the pregame, and most of the reception for his at-bats was positive. But he knows it will take time to truly replace Bernie Williams, who received some of the day’s loudest ovations.

“Bernie’s great,” Damon said. “I’m stepping in, following a Yankee legend.

“He’s meant so much to this organization, and he means so much to this team now that he’s a guy who’s going to help me out along the way.”

Asked if he heard the boos, Damon answered, “I’m not going to worry about the negative stuff.

“I’m going to focus on the positives and be ready to go [today]. We’ll see and hear a bunch of cheers.”

Damon’s first three at-bats showcased his multifaceted offensive game and reaffirmed his reputation as a catalyst. In the first inning, the leadoff hitter lined an opposite-field double to left and scored on Jason Giambi’s three-run jack.

In the third, his leadoff walk dominoed into three more free passes, and he scored on Hideki Matsui’s base on balls. And in the fourth, Damon laid a perfect sacrifice bunt down the third-base line after singles by Robinson Cano and Williams.

Unfortunately, New Yorkers only remember what happens when it matters. And Damon struck out on three pitches from Royals righty Ambriorix Burgos for the second out of the eighth in his weakest at-bat of the game.

He took a fastball away for a strike and a low splitter for another strike. Looking for another low pitch, he swung feebly at a 91 mph fastball “down the middle.”

“I felt bad,” Damon said. “I was pretty surprised I missed it. It wasn’t the best of swings.”

Damon didn’t have the best of games, but he promised he can be counted on as the season moves forward.

“As players, when we see someone fail in front of us or on the team, we try to pick them up,” he said. “Derek, he picked me up.

“It was pretty amazing.”