Yankees' Opening Day: Aaron Judge homers, Gerrit Cole dominates in shutout over Giants

NEW YORK - The Yankees launched their 121st season in franchise history Thursday afternoon, and their superstars made sure it would be a perfect day from the start.

Coming out for the traditional baseline introductions, Aaron Judge and rookie Anthony Volpe received the loudest ovations on a sunny but frigid 39-degree afternoon.

And right off the bat, reigning AL MVP Judge assumed the league lead in home runs by smashing an 0-1 pitch by San Francisco Giants' right-hander Logan Webb over the center field wall for a 1-0 Yankees lead.

Judge later added a soft, RBI single in the seventh, and the Yankees came away with a 5-0 victory, the fifth Opening Day win in their last six, since 2018.

Yes, manager Aaron Boone admitted that his darkest winter moment was having thoughts about Judge signing with the Giants - the team he grew up rooting for - and lining up on the baseline with the visitors on Opening Day.

Of course, Judge returned on a nine-year, $360 million contract following an historic offensive season, setting the AL record with 62 home runs.

There was a nice opening reception for Watchung’s Anthony Volpe, making his MLB debut as the Yankees’ starting shortstop, on a prime-event day in the Bronx.

In his first plate appearance, batting ninth for the Yanks, Volpe led off the third inning by drawing a walk on a 3-2 pitch. Volpe's mature plate discipline this spring is what set him apart, and made you believe he was ready for The Show at age 21.

Volpe followed up with his first career stolen base, the first of the season by the Yankees, and first of many to come; Volpe stole 50 bases in the minors last year.

Defensively in the sixth inning, Volpe made a backhanded play on Wilmer Flores' grounder and started a 6-4-3 double play after ex-Met Michael Conforto, playing his first game in two years, led off with a single.

It was a big day for the Volpe family in attendance and The Delbarton School in New Jersey, watching one of their own – not too far out from graduation – experiencing a dream-come-true moment.

'Volpe's on deck': How Yankees were first to imagine Anthony Volpe wearing pinstripes

Gerrit Cole's dominant day

With 10 strikeouts by the fourth inning, Gerrit Cole established a Yankees Opening Day record for strikeouts, besting the previous club record - Tim Leary's nine Ks for the Yankees in the 1991 opener.

This was Cole's fourth Opening Day start as a Yankee and his fifth overall. His final line: Six shutout innings, three hits, two walks, 11 strikeouts.

It was also Gleyber Day

Following a solid spring and a great experience in the World Baseball Classic for Team Venezuela, Gleyber Torres - serving as the designated hitter - launched an opposite field two-run homer in the fourth for a 3-0 Yankees lead.

Under team control through 2024, Torres had been the subject of winter trade discussion and he remains a possible trade chip this season, given the Yankees' surplus of infielders and a current pitching deficit.

The Yankees began the 2023 season with three starters (Carlos Rodon, Luis Severino, Frankie Montas) and two relievers (Lou Trivino, Tommy Kahnle) on the injured list.

Boone suggested before the game that a trade for a pitcher was in the works. "There's a potential deal going forward,'' said the manager.

Center fielder Estevan Florial, out of minor league options, was placed on the opening 26-man roster but the Yankees intended to add an eighth relief pitcher by Saturday - either from within or outside the organization.

Aaron Boone's lineup decisions

Torres opened as the DH because "somebody's got to,'' said Boone, who started DJ LeMahieu at second base.

After striking out in his first three at-bats against Logan Webb - who established a Giants' Opening Day record with 12 Ks over his six innings - LeMahieu grounded an RBI single in a two-run seventh off John Brebbia.

LeMahieu might be the DH for Saturday's second game of the season.

"Just trying to move it around (and) build these guys up'' early in the season, said Boone, who also preferred Oswaldo Cabrera in left field over Aaron Hicks on Opening Day.

Based on his performance as a call-up late last season and his performance in camp, "I feel like Oswaldo kind of earned it,'' said Boone, adding that it was just an Opening Day decision and that Hicks would have "a huge role'' on the club.

Still, Boone's choice of the youngster over the veteran - one whose injury history has negatively impacted his performance as a Yankee - seemed to reveal something about Hicks' standing on the club.

Hicks had a good spring, and the anti-shift rules should help him, especially from the left side, but he's got to earn back some trust in order to earn more playing time.

During the baseline introductions, the fans booed both Hicks and Josh Donaldson. It was hard to tell if those were "boos'' or "Boooones'' for the manager.

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Yankees Opening Day 2023 postgame updates: Aaron Judge, Gerrit Cole