Yankees' search for a leadoff hitter is going well

Two games. Two history-making leadoff hitters. Two leadoff home runs.

The Yankees could get used to this.

One game after Austin Wells became the first catcher to hit a leadoff home run on Opening Day, Paul Goldschmidt batted leadoff for the first time in his 1,930-game MLB career in the Yankees’ 20-9 win over the Brewers on Saturday afternoon. He drove the first pitch he saw from Nestor Cortes — a belt-high 90-mph fastball — 413 feet into the visitors’ bullpen.

“I was able to get a good pitch to hit and get it out of there,” he said.

During his pregame availability, manager Aaron Boone said he and Goldschmidt had talked about the possibility of the first baseman hitting leadoff.

“Got him in there once [in spring training] — because we faced so many righties in spring — to do it, and before I sent [the lineup] out last night, gave him the heads-up,” said Boone, who hinted that there is likely to be more experimentation with the leadoff spot.

“We could look up in a month or two and somebody else has kind of emerged to become the more traditional leadoff [hitter],” Boone said. “We’ll see.”

Stanton getting in swing of things

Giancarlo Stanton has been taking swings in the batting cage, Boone said.

“Nothing crazy here,”said Boone, who is unsure how soon the slugger can return to the team. “It’s been a good couple weeks.”

Stanton did not participate at all in spring training because of a tendon issue in both elbows. He has been receiving platelet-rich plasma treatments.

Stroman gets a start

It has been an eventful two months-and-change for Marcus Stroman, who went from being the odd man out of the rotation to being the announced starter for Sunday’s series finale.

Entering camp, with Stroman the sixth starter in a five-man rotation, there was public speculation that he could be moved to the bullpen. However, Stroman declared himself a starter and said he wouldn’t pitch out of the bullpen when he reported.

Circumstances proved him correct. He has become the No. 3 starter for the foreseeable future because of injuries to Gerrit Cole (Tommy John surgery), Luis Gil (strained right lat) and Clarke Schmidt (right shoulder fatigue) plus a solid spring training in which he went 2-1 with a 4.73 ERA in five starts.

“Good. Sharp. Crisp,” was Boone’s analysis of Stroman’s work in spring training. “I feel like, especially his last couple of starts, he started to get the movement [on the] ball, especially the sinker, that he wanted. The cutter has been a really good pitch for him all spring. I feel like that’s been in a good place. So I feel like his stuff has been crisp and as we’ve gone, he’s getting the movement qualities kind of where he wants them.”

Not a pitchers' duel

Saturday's game was not one for purists. Between the two teams, after 61 batters had come to the plate, only 26 outs had been recorded.