It’s time to answer the call

NEW YORK – The tallest Yankee ever began the big task of putting the Boston Red Sox back in their place.

Randy Johnson shut down Boston in his New York debut, dominating his new team’s old rival. He outpitched David Wells, got help from Hideki Matsui and a rejuvenated Jason Giambi and led the Yankees over the World Series champions 9-2 Sunday night in the major league opener.

“It was pretty excited to go out there,” said Johnson, who remembered how fans cheered him when he walked out to the bullpen to warm up.

Already, there were bad omens for the Red Sox: Matsui leaped in left to rob Kevin Millar of a two-run homer in the third, Giambi stretched to reel in two bad throws by shortstop Derek Jeter, Alex Rodriguez made a diving stop at third on Edgar Renteria, and Tino Martinez made a backhand dive at first to prevent an extra-base hit by Johnny Damon.

By the time Matsui hit a two-run homer off Matt Mantei for a 8-1 lead in the eighth, it was almost piling on.

“We’re not disappointed,” Damon said. “We accept the fact that we really weren’t that good tonight, We’ll get better.”

With Boston taking the field as champions for the first time in 86 years, the Red Sox returned to the scene of their improbable triumph staring directly at the 6-foot-10 Big Unit, brought to the Bronx to help the Yankees win their first title since 2000.

Giambi, back at first base following injury, illness and a reported admission of steroid use, received a pair of standing ovations from the sellout crowd of 54,818 and went 1 for 2 with a single and two hit-by-pitches.

“I had a calm feeling because I knew I did everything I could to get to this point,” he said. “They respect a guy who worked hard to get back to where he was.”

Gary Sheffield, back from offseason shoulder surgery, hit a go-ahead single in a three-run third inning against Wells, and Martinez received two huge ovations in his first game in pinstripes since 2001.

“Who wouldn’t like this?” he said.

Since New York moved within three outs of sweeping the Red Sox in the A.L. championship series last October, the Red Sox had won eight straight, becoming the first major league team to overcome a 3-0 postseason deficit, then blowing out St. Louis in the World Series.

But following an offseason of joy in New England, the Red Sox started with a thud, pitching poorly, making a pair of errors and losing their fifth straight season opener. New York had 15 hits off Wells and six relievers.

“It’s the first game we won since Game 3,” Yankees manager Joe Torre said. “It was a long winter waiting to get on the field again.”

Johnson allowed the one run and five hits in six innings and struck out six. Tanyon Sturtze and Tom Gordon with one hit relief.