Stroman wears his pinstripes well in Yankees' home opener

NEW YORK – It was three weeks ago that Marcus Stroman voiced a preference to remain on track to start the Yankees’ home opener, an assignment he desperately craved. The Long Island native could picture himself pitching in pinstripes, thrilling a Bronx audience of friendly faces.

Stroman made good on that promise, delivering six scoreless innings as the Yankees opened their home schedule, though his teammates mustered no support. The Blue Jays spoiled the afternoon, as Ernie Clement’s seventh-inning homer broke a scoreless tie in New York’s 3-0 loss at Yankee Stadium.

“Baseball is a game of ups and downs,” Stroman said. “With this lineup, I don’t see us having many starts like that. They’re going to swing it. They’re going to score runs. We had a hot start on the road, and sometimes you just run into games where you’re not as hot.”

It was the first time the Yanks have been shut out in a home opener since 1967 (3-0 to the Red Sox). Clement’s pinch-hit blast came off left-hander Caleb Ferguson after Stroman silenced the Jays on three hits over a 98-pitch effort (57 for strikes), striking out six with one walk. Over 12 innings as a Yankee, Stroman has yet to permit an earned run.

“The guy shows up and makes pitches when he has to, and got out of some tough jams,” said captain Aaron Judge. “It’s impressive; it’s been fun to watch him work, his process and how he gets prepared for the games. He did it again for us today; we just weren’t able to get him a couple of runs.”

The 32-year-old Stroman was amped, beginning from his early afternoon walk to the bullpen, when he waved a towel and gestured wildly toward fans in the right-field bleachers. Stroman admitted anxiety had kept him from eating much in the 24 hours prior, adding that he’d hardly slept.

“Every kid that has dreams of playing baseball, you imagine yourself pitching Opening Day at home for the New York Yankees,” Stroman said.

As the pregame pageantry neared, Stroman visited briefly with family members, then put his game face on in the bullpen. The audience was on his side. Stroman applauded into his glove after the fifth and sixth innings, his energy and enthusiasm embraced by the sellout assemblage of 47,812.

“I’m very grateful and thankful to the home crowd,” Stroman said. “The energy when I walked out there 35, 40 minutes before the game was incredible. That’s something that I love. I feel like I’m able to pick myself up in those moments. To feel the love from the crowd, that means everything to me.”

Spirits were high after a strong 6-1 season-opening road trip, and the Bronx faithful seemed ready to embrace Juan Soto as one of their own. As Dominican flags whipped in the bleachers, fans sported shirts with Soto’s No. 22 and sought any sign that their new favorite player might be inclined to stay long-term.

Soto provided reasons to believe, commissioning a pair of snazzy New York-themed cleats that served as a love letter to the five boroughs, then emphatically waving his cap and delivering a deep bow for his first Roll Call from the “Bleacher Creatures.”

The familiar beats of Jay-Z and Alicia Keys’ “Empire State of Mind” accompanied Soto’s first at-bat.

“I’m just trying to find something to get the crowd going. That’s what I was thinking most,” Soto said. “I want them to enjoy it as much as me.”

Toronto’s Yusei Kikuchi had other ideas, changing speeds and flashing a quick heater that limited the Yanks to four hits over 5 1/3 scoreless frames. By the eighth inning, Soto’s frustration spilled over, as he spiked his bat and helmet to the infield turf after being struck out for the second time.

That came after an at-bat during which Soto quibbled with home-plate umpire Emil Jimenez’s strike zone. Soto finished the day 0-for-4.

“You want to do so much for this fan base and get your team going,” Soto said. “You have the chance to do it, and I couldn’t get it done. It really gets you mad. At the end of the day, that’s my fault. I shouldn’t do that, but things happen.”

On a day when the Yankees learned they would be without right-hander Jonathan Loáisiga for at least two months and transferred him to the 60-day injured list with a right flexor strain, the bullpen provided reasons for further concern. Nick Burdi tossed three wild pitches in the ninth inning as Toronto padded its lead with a pair of insurance runs.

“It didn’t end well,” manager Aaron Boone said. “The crowd was ready to go, ready to erupt. Unfortunately we just couldn’t get it going offensively to really blow the roof off.”