SPLITTIN’ HEADACHE

Boone booted, Stanton hurt as Yanks win one, lose more

It started well. The Yankees won the opener of a doubleheader Saturday, 8-4, behind Gerrit Cole. But an angry Aaron Boone got the boot after Rays pitchers repeatedly threw high and tight to Yanks batters, and Giancarlo Stanton (inset) appears headed to the IL with a hamstring injury after a discomforting 5-3 loss in the nightcap.

Saturday’s doubleheader box scores will reveal the Yankees and Rays split a pair of seven-inning games since the Yankees copped the opener and the Rays won the nightcap.

In reality, the Yankees may have been losers, because when they walked out of Tropicana Field, they didn’t know how long they would be without Giancarlo Stanton.

After the Yankees won the first game, 8-4, behind Gerrit Cole’s good but abbreviated start and home runs by Mike Ford, Aaron Judge and Stanton, they watched their designated hitter depart the second tilt — a 5-3 loss — with a tight left hamstring.

“It was when he moved up on the wild pitch [in the fourth inning]. That is where it tightened up on him. We are going to get an MRI, but it does look like it is an IL situation,’’ manager Aaron Boone said.

Stanton, who was limited to 18 regular-season games last year due to injuries, began the day in a 2-for-21 (.095) funk but went 2-for-3 with a homer in the opener and walked twice in two plate appearances in the second game.

Miguel Andujar, recently sent to the alternate site, is a possible replacement for Stanton.

Following the top of the fifth, Boone and hitting coach Marcus Thames were ejected by plate umpire Vic Carapazza. The

Yankees’ dugout was chirping at Rays pitchers for throwing hard up and in.

The split left the Yankees with a 10-5 record. They have lost three of four and will attempt to get out of Florida on Sunday having taken two of four from the Rays. The struggling James Paxton (0-1, 13.50 ERA) faces Charlie Morton.

One out away from qualifying for what would have been his 20th straight win, Cole was removed by Boone after giving up a two-run homer to Jose Martinez that cut the Yankees’ lead to 5-3 in the fifth. Cole needed a season-high 107 pitches to go 42/3 innings in which he gave up three runs, six hits and struck out 10. The Yankees are 4-0 in Cole’s four starts.

“Good and bad. I thought the fastball location was improved. Obviously the pitch count got up there

AP COLE COMFORT: Gerrit Cole didn’t get the win but the Yankees did in the opener, as he held the Rays at bay for four innings before being pulled after giving up three runs in the fifth inning of an 8-4 victory.