TORONTO — Giancarlo Stanton homered twice and drove in four runs in his Yankees debut and Luis Severino was masterful on the mound, leading New York to a 6-1 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays in Thursday’s season opener.
Severino (1-0) struck out seven and held Toronto to just one hit and three walks over 5 2/3 innings. Brett Gardner also homered and Gary Sanchez drove in another run for New York (1-0).
Veteran left-hander J.A. Happ (0-1), in his first career opening day start, threw 4 2/3 innings and allowed three runs (two earned), four hits and one walk while striking out five.
Kevin Pillar supplied Toronto’s (0-1) offence with a solo homer late.
All-star third baseman Josh Donaldson, who was slowed by a shoulder issue early in spring training, appeared to be struggling with weak throws across the diamond throughout the game, including one in the sixth inning that pulled first baseman Justin Smoak off the bag. Smoak recovered, stretching his toe to the base to get the out, which was upheld after video review.
A prolonged shoulder problem for Donaldson would spell bad news for Toronto, which placed shortstop Troy Tulowitzki on the 60-day disabled list with bone spurs in both his heels earlier in the day. Tulowitzki hasn’t played since sustaining an ankle injury last July.
The Blue Jays were outhit 11-2 and struck out 12 times. The miserable offensive showing matched the weather conditions in Toronto, where rain drizzled outside the domed Rogers Centre all day.
Stanton, the reigning NL MVP acquired in an off-season trade with Miami, gave New York an early 2-0 lead by sending an 0-1 offering from Happ into the stands in right-centre field in the first inning.
He earned his third RBI in the fifth, smacking a line drive double off Canadian reliever John Axford to cash in Aaron Judge from first base. Sanchez followed with a run-scoring double and Gardner hit a solo homer off Danny Barnes in the seventh for a 5-0 Yankees lead.
Stanton’s second home run came off Tyler Clippard in the ninth.
Pillar’s homer, off Dellin Betances in the eighth, was just Toronto’s second hit of the game. Curtis Granderson, who began the day with a first-inning fielding error in left, hit a single to centre field for his first hit as a Blue Jay in the fourth inning.
The game began with a touching tribute to Roy Halladay, the former Blue Jays ace who died last November when the small sport plane he was piloting crashed into the Gulf of Mexico. His No. 32 was retired by the organization, marked by the unfurling of a banner from the centre-field rafters.
Halladay’s sons, 17-year-old Braden and 13-year-old Ryan, placed the game ball on the mound instead of throwing a ceremonial first pitch.
NOTES: The game marked Aaron Boone’s debut as Yankees manager. … Attendance was 48,115.
Melissa Couto, The Canadian Press