Gustavo Chacin became the first lefty starter to win his major league debut against the Yankees in the Joe Torre era, pitching the Toronto Blue Jays past New York 6-3 last night.

With a shaved head, a 19-2 record in the minors, and fresh off a playoff win at Double-A, Chacin held the AL East leaders to a mere three singles before leaving in the eighth inning.

The loss to last-place Toronto was just the Yankees’ fourth defeat in 15 games. They were coming off an emotional two days in which they battered Boston, outscoring the Red Sox 25-5. The Yankees remained 4 1 /2 games ahead of Boston, which lost 9-6 to Baltimore.

A crowd of only 10,732 saw a game rescheduled less than two weeks ago. This three-game series was supposed to open tonight, but was pushed up to accommodate a makeup against Tampa Bay caused by Hurricane Frances.

Not since Boston’s Vaughn Eshelman on May 2, 1995, had an opposing lefty started and won his major league debut at Yankee Stadium, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.

Torre, who took over as the Yankees’ manager in 1996 when they began their championship run, said there was a “certain mystery” in facing a pitcher his team had never seen.

Chacin (1-0) proved that, leaving in the eighth with no outs, the bases loaded on a walk, error and hit batter, and Toronto ahead 6-1.

Jason Dickson of the California Angels was the last visiting starter to win his debut in the Bronx, on August 21, 1996. Overall, starters facing the Yankees in their first game during Torre’s tenure were 3-7 with a 4.66 ERA in 11 tries before Chacin.

Sluggers Gary Sheffield and Jason Giambi sat out, but Chacin still faced a starting lineup that included eight All-Stars who had combined for 37 All-Star appearances. Chacin began his career with three straight balls to Derek Jeter, came back to get him on a grounder and stayed out of trouble with three double plays.

Chacin struck out two and walked three, rarely throwing over 90 mph but doing a nice job of hiding the ball in his delivery. He led 3-0 before the Yankees scored in the sixth on a walk to Kenny Lofton, a single by Jeter and Alex Rodriguez’s double-play grounder.

After Chacin exited, Rodriguez hit a two-run single off Miguel Batista that made it 6-3. The Yankees loaded the bases, but Hideki Matsui grounded into an inning-ending double play, and Batista finished for his second save.

The Yankees loaded the bases again in the ninth, but Jeter grounded out to end it.

Russ Adams led off the game with a home run against Javier Vazquez (14-10), and later added a two-run single. Adams was among about a dozen Toronto players who wore colorful dresses – a rookie hazing – on the charter flight to New York.

Vernon Wells doubled twice and scored both times. Alex Rios singled home a run and had an RBI grounder, and Eric Hinske hit an RBI single.

Vazquez is 1-4 in his last seven starts.