(SportsNetwork.com) - CC Sabathia tries again for his first win of the season when the New York Yankees open a four-game series Monday with the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field.
Sabathia is 0-5 with a 5.45 earned run average in six starts and the Yankees are 1-5 when he takes the hill. Sabathia was touched for four runs and nine hits in 6 1/3 innings of a 5-1 loss at Toronto last Wednesday and dropped to 0-3 in four road outings.
The left-hander has made 36 career starts against Tampa Bay and is 12-14 with a 3.83 ERA.
New York hopes Sabathia can turn in the type of performance Michael Pineda had in Sunday's 6-2 win over the Baltimore Orioles in the finale of a four-game series in the Bronx. Pineda struck out a career-high 16 batters and allowed only one run in seven innings.
"In the first inning when I threw my first slider I said, 'everything's working perfect tonight.' I'm happy with that," Pineda said.
Brian McCann and Carlos Beltran both homered for New York, which has won seven of its last 10 games.
The AL East-leading Yankees will also visit Kansas City and Washington on this road trip.
Tampa Bay split a four-game series with the Texas Rangers and suffered a 2-1 loss in Sunday's series finale.
Brandon Guyer knocked in the lone run for Tampa Bay and Kevin Jepsen suffered the loss in relief. Starting pitcher Jake Odorizzi was battling the flu and hurled 6 2/3 innings of one-run ball with seven strikeouts and no walks.
Taking the mound for the Rays Monday will be Alex Colome. Colome is 2-0 with a 1.80 earned run average in his two starts and last pitched in a 5-3 win at Boston on May 6, when he allowed two runs in five innings.
Colome has no record and no ERA in two starts against the Yankees, throwing 11 innings and allowing three unearned runs.
The Rays are 1-5 against the division-rival Yankees this season.
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