New York Yankees Giancarlo Stanton, right, celebrates his second home run of the game with teammate Gary Sanchez during the ninth inning of their opening day game against the Toronto Blue Jays, in Toronto, on March 29, 2018.Mark Blinch
All through spring training, the Toronto Blue Jays emphasized the importance of getting a good start with a lineup that looks a lot like last season's mostly unappetizing outfit.
After the curtain opened on the 2018 campaign at a sold-out Rogers Centre on Thursday, it would be difficult for even the team's most ardent supporters to find a few optimistic morsels for the long grind ahead.
But it's only the first of 162 games, so there is still plenty of time for redemption. Or regression, depending on your outlook.
With the star third baseman throwing as though he were lobbing hand grenades, the new outfielder hardly making a good first impression by botching a line drive and a rejigged bullpen springing some early leaks, it all made for a dreary debut for the home side.
And with a 2017 bottom-of-the-barrel offence picking up where it left off last season, collecting just two hits, it was rather easy for the power-packed New York Yankees to waltz off with a 6-1 victory.
Slugger Giancarlo Stanton paved the way in his first regular-season game in Yankees pinstripes after coming over in a trade with the Miami Marlins, stroking two impressive home runs to drive in four runs. Stanton went 3-for-5.
Yankee starter Luis Severino threw 100-mile-an-hour darts through 5 2/3 innings and allowed just one hit with seven strikeouts. It made for an arduous outing for the Blue Jays.
"It's tough," Toronto manager John Gibbons said of a New York lineup that is heavily favoured to be the cream of the crop in the American League East. "We knew that it was tough to go through before Stanton showed up."
Top of the worry list has to be the play of Toronto third baseman Josh Donaldson, who was bothered by right-shoulder pain during spring training that he and the team said was minor.
It looked anything but in Thursday's opener. His throws to first lacked the customary zip and his line was off. His delivery appeared to have a bit of a hitch.
Afterward, both Gibbons and Donaldson said there is no need for worry, that the issue is just a bit of dead or tired arm.
"I think I've been feeling it a little bit all spring and it's just kind of been ongoing, back and forth," said Donaldson, who was 0-for-3 with a walk. "I don't have any pain or anything; that's always good. It's just about getting the strength back."
"Obviously, he was off today," Gibbons added. "He said really his arm just feels dead, not injured. He was definitely a little off.
"We may DH him a little bit more until it comes back. We don't think it's a big deal."
While opening day is always exciting for the players, it can also be a bit of a grind with the pomp and circumstance that accompany the event.
"I enjoy opening days, but it can be a big hassle, too," Gibbons said beforehand. "There's so much going on. You get pulled this way, that way."
For Gibbons and the Jays, the pregame hassle was just the start.
Before the game, the Blue Jays said Canadian John Axford and Tyler Clippard have both made the team as relievers.
The club also said starter Joe Biagini will open the season in Triple-A Buffalo to keep him stretched out along with outfielder Teoscar Hernandez, who was Toronto's most dangerous hitter in spring training.
The Blue Jays also placed brittle veteran shortstop Troy Tulowitzki on the 60-day disabled list. He is battling bilateral heel bone spurs that developed as he was recovering from a severe ankle sprain that limited his season to just 66 games a year ago.
That means you'll be seeing a lot more of Aledmys Diaz, who got the start at short for Toronto on Thursday.
The game could not have got off to a worse start for the Blue Jays when Curtis Granderson, the aging outfielder Toronto signed as a free agent in the off-season, misplayed a leadoff line drive by Brett Gardner in left.
With one out, Stanton made the Blue Jays pay for the error, jumping on a fastball from Toronto starter J.A. Happ and hammering it over the wall in right centre for a quick 2-0 Yankees advantage.
The 117.3-miles-an-hour exit velocity on Stanton's drive was the fastest recorded at Rogers Centre. All in all, it was not a bad how-do-you-do to his new team.
And many of the close to 48,000 were quick to jump on Granderson's case, giving him the Bronx cheer when he made a routine catch of a fly ball in the fourth.
After Happ departed with two out in the fifth, new bullpen member Axford came in and allowed two run-scoring doubles by Stanton and another by Gary Sanchez, to make the score 4-0.
Gardner homered off Toronto reliever Danny Barnes in the seventh before Kevin Pillar did the same for Toronto in the eighth to break New York's shutout bid.
Stanton powered his second dinger in the ninth off Clippard.
Toronto Blue Jays catcher Russell Martin says the team “has a lot more depth” going into the new season. The Jays are in Montreal playing two exhibition games against the St. Louis Cardinals before their home opener on Thursday.
The Canadian Press