Stanton says he deserved boos after 'awful' 5-strikeout performance

Giancarlo Stanton believes the boos aimed at him were warranted.

Making his home debut at Yankee Stadium on Tuesday against the Tampa Bay Rays, Stanton struck out in all five of his trips to the plate and was booed off the field as a result.

"I was awful today," Stanton told reporters, according to Mike Mazzeo of the New York Daily News. "You put up a performance like that you should get some boos."

The five-strikeout afternoon marked a career high for Stanton and also tied the single-game franchise mark for the Yankees. The reigning National League MVP never struck out more than three times in a single game last season with the Miami Marlins.

Having already experienced some highs and lows of his own in New York, Aaron Judge advised Stanton that hearing boos in the Bronx is no big deal.

"Everyone's been booed. It's no big deal," Judge said, according to Coley Harvey of ESPN. "He knows that. It's just, you got to go out there and just do your job the next day. If you don't have it one day, you can't complain, can't mope - which he's not. He knows how it is."

Despite the lack of offense from Stanton, the Yankees still managed to beat up on the Rays 11-4, thanks in large part to an eight-RBI performance from shortstop Didi Gregorius.

"Good thing it's not all about me," Stanton said. "I was awful, but Didi picked me up and the rest of the guys. That's what you need on a not-so-good night for an individual."