2 ways Chance Adams impressed Yankees in debut

Yankees rookie Chance Adams made his big-league debut in a 4-1 loss to the Red Sox at Fenway Park on Saturday.

BOSTON — Chance Adams‘ nerves were rattling until the last minute.

The Yankees‘ rookie starting pitcher, making his big-league debut, felt a little uneasy before his solid start in a 4-1 loss to the Red Sox at Fenway Park on Saturday.

But when he finally got to the mound, it melted away, the highly regarding prospect said.

“Leading up to it, it was anticipation, nervousness,” he said. “But when I stepped out there to do my warmups, it felt like calmness. I said a little prayer and felt comfortable.”

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Adams wasn’t spectacular by any means. He gave up three earned runs on two homers in five innings.

Still, it was exactly what the Yankees hoped, considering Luis Severino and CC Sabathia each had been bad in the team’s two previous losses.

Manager Aaron Boone pointed out two things that he liked, in particular, about the 23-year-old’s debut.

Boone said he liked how Adams attacked the strike zone and seemed poised throughout.

“I thought he did well,” Boone said. “He seemed like he was in a really good frame of mind all day and I think he came in here having thrown the ball well. I think he had some confidence going in.”

And he liked that even after Adams gave up a two-run blast to Mitch Moreland in the first inning, he didn’t scare. Adams also gave up a solo shot to J.D. Martinez.

“I think after giving the home run up there in the first, he didn’t flinch, and I thought he did a good job attacking the strike zone, mixing his pitches,” Boone said. Catcher Austin Romine “came in a couple of times and said his stuff’s really good. His fastball’s moving all over the place, cutting, sinking. I think he gave us — if you told us three runs through five innings for him, his first time out against that lineup, you would have taken that.”

Brendan Kuty may be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @BrendanKutyNJ. Find NJ.com Yankees on Facebook.