HOUSTON _ Out of the chute, Luis Severino had everything working.
And he also had the luxury of starting on a night when Giancarlo Stanton was finding his power swing.
Stanton lashed two home runs on Wednesday night off Yankees nemesis Dallas Keuchel. And that damage against the Astros lefty was enough to fuel a 4-0 Yankees' win at Minute Maid Park.
Severino completed a five-hit shutout, the first of his big-league career, striking out 10 and walking one batter in 110-pitch performance.
Severino (5-1) was at 98 pitches as he jogged out to begin the ninth.
After retiring the first two batters, Josh Reddick went the opposite way and doubled off the left field wall.
But Severino got Alex Bregman on a fly ball to end it.
With an RBI double off reliever Hector Rondon in the eighth, Stanton (3-for-4) drove in all four runs for the Yankees (20-10), winners of 11 of their last 12 games.
Featuring a high-octane fastball and a sweeping slider, Severino used an economy of pitches to baffle the defending world champions' lineup.
Second baseman Gleyber Torres' diving catch provided a boost for Severino in the seventh. Keuchel (1-5) lasted seven innings, charged with three runs.
Stanton had ended his first Yankees month batting .230 with five homers in 28 games, but "I think he's actually in a pretty good place in the box right now," Yankees manager Aaron Boone said as the calendar flipped to May.
Wednesday marked the second time this year that Stanton had clubbed two homers in one game, which he previously accomplished on Opening Day at Toronto.
Severino began his night by striking out George Springer swinging at a high fastball at 97 mph.
And he ended the sixth inning by whiffing Carlos Correa on a 99-mph fastball, yet another example of how the right-hander maintains his velocity deep into games.
Yet, Severino used just 74 pitches to get through six innings.
Severino was still throwing 99-mph fastballs in the eighth.
Stanton did not have a hit in his last 10 at-bats and he was 3-for-20 on the current road trip as he came to bat in Wednesday's first inning.
After a two-out single by Didi Gregorius _ just named as the AL's Player of the Month for April _ Stanton drove a 2-and-0 pitch on a line, over the right field wall for a quick, 2-0 lead.
And with one out in the fourth, Stanton crushed a solo shot over the high left-field wall to make it 3-0.
Now with seven homers this season, Stanton is tied with both Aaron Judge and Gary Sanchez for second on the club behind Gregorius, who has 10 home runs.
Stanton hadn't had much experience against Keuchel, having been a career 0-for-5 against him going into the game.
Also, entering Wednesday, Aaron Hicks was the only Yankee to have hit a homer against Keuchel _ doing so as a Minnesota Twin.
Stanton became the first Yankee to homer off Keuchel, who was making his 10th career start against the Yanks _ including three postseason starts.
Once again, the rookie second baseman's defense made an impact.
After singles by Yuri Gurriel (infield hit) and Josh Reddick opened the seventh inning, Torres flung himself into the outfield grass behind second base to rob Bregman.
Having snared that soft, sinking liner, Torres watched Severino strike out Marwin Gonzalez on a change-up and retire pinch-hitter Brian McCann on a weak grounder to maintain a 3-0 lead.
