TORONTO – The Toronto Blue Jays turned back the clock Wednesday night, delivering a performance that was reminiscent of the squad that reached the playoffs last year.

Starter J.A. Happ worked six solid innings and the Toronto offence broke open a tight game with a four-run eighth inning in a 7-2 victory over the New York Yankees at Rogers Centre.

Ryan Goins had two of Toronto’s six doubles as the Blue Jays (4-5) matched a season-high with seven runs. Jose Bautista and Michael Saunders had two hits apiece as Toronto outhit New York 10-8.

The offensive outburst and solid pitching effort should help cool the intensity of the sports radio call-in shows in the city. Even though the season is only in its second week, fans have been quick to voice their concern about the team’s slow start.

“We were eight games into the season and people around us — not these 25 guys in here — but people around us kind of panicked a bit,” Goins said. “I don’t think anybody in this locker-room has panicked one bit. We know we’re a great lineup and we’re going to score runs.”

Happ (1-0) continued the impressive start to the campaign by Toronto’s starting rotation, allowing one earned run and seven hits. Blue Jays starters have held the opposition to three earned runs or less in seven of nine games.

The Toronto bullpen has struggled with an 0-4 record and 4.35 earned-run average entering Wednesday’s game. But the relievers came through with three impressive innings, a Mark Teixeira solo shot off Drew Storen the lone hiccup on the evening.

“It was just a good all-around game,” said Blue Jays manager John Gibbons. “You play these teams in your division and you need to beat them. That was an important game for us.”

Happ allowed the leadoff man to reach in a few innings but was able to keep things in check. He put two runners on in the sixth before getting Ronald Torreyes on a nasty curveball to cap his evening.

“I critique myself and I’m pretty hard on myself sometimes,” Happ said. “But I think the best thing about tonight was being able to make some pitches in big situations and try to minimize the damage there.”

Brett Cecil and switch-pitcher Pat Verditte, who was called up earlier in the day from triple-A Buffalo, both had 1-2-3 frames for Toronto.

Yankees starter Michael Pineda (1-1) allowed two earned runs, five hits and three walks over six innings.

Goins drove in the game’s opening run in the second inning when he doubled to plate Russell Martin, who had reached on a walk. The Yankees evened the score in the fifth but the Blue Jays tacked on two more runs in the bottom half.

Teixeira’s third homer of the season made it a one-run game. His solo shot hit the foul screen in right field.

Toronto answered by working over reliever Ivan Nova, who gave up five hits and four earned runs in the eighth.

Josh Donaldson and Bautista hit back-to-back doubles and the slumping Troy Tulowitzki chipped in with an RBI single. Saunders doubled, Martin added a sacrifice fly and Goins tacked on a single as the Blue Jays put the game out of reach.

“When our bats come to life — and there were some good signs late in the game tonight — we’ll be just fine,” Gibbons said.

Torreyes, Jacoby Ellsbury and Carlos Beltran had two hits apiece for New York (4-3). The game took two hours 43 minutes to play and announced attendance was 27,938.

The teams will play the rubber game of the three-game series Thursday night at Rogers Centre.

Notes: With the Venditte callup, the Blue Jays designated right-hander Arnold Leon for assignment to free up a roster spot. … Toronto’s Marcus Stroman (1-0, 5.40 earned-run average) will start the series finale against fellow right-hander Nathan Eovaldi.

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