(SportsNetwork.com) - New York's CC Sabathia tries to shake off a poor showing his first time out on Sunday when the Yankees finish off a three-game set with the Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Centre.
Sabathia was banged around in a loss to woeful Houston on Opening Day, surrendering six runs and eight hits in six innings of work. The poor showing, of course, comes on the heels of him posting a career-worst 4.78 ERA a year ago.
"Everything just kind of sped up on me," Sabathia said. "I'm pretty good at slowing the game down, being able to gather my thoughts and make a good pitch. Everything just sped up on me, and I ended up with four runs in the first inning."
Sabathia now owns a 1-3 record with a 6.11 ERA all-time on Opening Day.
"That's been the toughest thing for me; I do get so excited," Sabathia said. "I feel like I'm a kid again. I would sleep in my uniform if I could the night before Opening Day. I think it's just the nervousness, the jitters, wanting to start the season off good so bad, I end up pitching bad."
Toronto, meanwhile, will counter with right-hander Drew Hutchison, who picked up the win after missing the past year and a half because of Tommy John surgery. Hutchison scattered three hits 5 1/3 scoreless innings to nail down his first victory since June 3, 2012,
"That was his first time in such a long time, it kind of kicked in a little bit, the adrenaline, so much stuff going on," catcher Dioner Navarro said. "He battled the first few innings, but then he kind of settled in really nice.
"Compared to what he did in the spring, I know he wasn't feeling the way he wanted to feel, but sometimes it is what it is. He worked out there, he worked his butt off and he gave us a chance to win."
On Saturday, R.A. Dickey spun 6 2/3 scoreless innings to spoil Michael Pineda's long-awaited first start as a Yankee, as Toronto rolled to a 4-0 victory.
Dickey (1-1) held the Yankees to five hits and a walk while striking out six, with three relievers polishing off the seven-hit shutout that evened this three-game series.
"I think this was a big game for us this early in the year," Blue Jays manager John Gibbons said. "(Dickey) stepped up for us and the bullpen did their thing."
Pineda (0-1) was hung with a hard-luck loss in his first big league outing since September of 2011, touched for one run on five hits over six innings of work. The right-hander, who spent the last two seasons recovering from shoulder surgery, fanned five without issuing a walk.
"I'm very happy about everything," Pineda remarked. "I've worked real hard the last two years to be (back) here."
New York won 14 of its 19 matchups with the Blue Jays last season.
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