Sabathia shines to get Yankees up and running

ST. PETERSBURG, FLORIDA - For all the talk about a Yankees youth movement, there were a couple of old, familiar faces fueling New York's first victory of the season.

CC Sabathia was sharp in his season debut and Chase Headley kept up his hot start in Tuesday night's 5-0 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays.

The 36-year-old Sabathia, beginning his 17th major-league season and the final year of his Yankees contract, limited the team he has faced more than any other to three singles and a pair of walks in five innings.

Headley homered off Jake Odorizzi (0-1) in the sixth inning and added an RBI single through the vacated shortstop hole of a shifted infield in the eighth, making him 5 for 8 in two games.

The third baseman, 32, started in a lengthy slump last year, only getting his first extra-base hit on May 12.

"It feels a heck of a lot better than it did for a month-and-a-half last year, but there's a long ways to go," said Headley, who joined Ronald Torreyes in going deep against Odorizzi.

"Obviously, getting a couple hits early on kind of takes the pressure off."

Five relievers finished the five-hitter. Dellin Betances retired Logan Morrison on a bases-loaded grounder to end the eighth inning and Aroldis Chapman, back with the Yankees after agreeing to a five-year contract, $86 million contract, threw a perfect ninth.

Traded to the Chicago Cubs by New York last July, Chapman reached 100 mph on four of 14 pitches, including his last, when Daniel Robertson struck out as his bat went flying into the seats.

"You always want to get that first win of the season," Sabathia said. "This is a young team, a talented team, so it's just going out and playing well."

Most of the offense was supplied by the bottom of the batting order.

The 5-foot-8 Torreyes, in the lineup because of a shoulder injury to Didi Gregorius and batting ninth, hit New York's first home run this season, a two-run drive off Jake Odorizzi (0-1) in the third that drove in 6-foot-7 Aaron Judge. Torreyes had to reach for a double high-five after crossing the plate.

Matt Holliday drove in his first run as a Yankee with a third-inning double on a high fly that Peter Bourjos lost track of and dropped in the left-field corner.

"It was up into the rafters, probably higher than any I've seen hit here," Bourjos said.

Sabathia joined Herb Pennock, Frank Tanana, Tommy John, Jim Kaat, Kenny Rogers, Mike Flanagan, Lefty Grove and David Wells as the only left-handers in AL history to make at least one start in 17 different seasons.

Guerrero hospitalized after stroke

Former World Series MVP Pedro Guerrero had a stroke last weekend and is recovering in a hospital in New York, according to his wife.

Roxanna Jimenez said her 60-year-old husband was taken to a hospital on Monday. She said doctors initially declared him brain dead but a second opinion confirmed he was comatose..

"It was his second massive stroke," Jimenez said on Tuesday by phone from New York in an interview with a radio station in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.

"He's recovering. The doctor said he can improve. He opened his eyes and is trying to communicate."

Some of Guerrero's former Dodgers teammates recalled he had overcome a previous stroke in recent years.

"He recovered from that, so God willing, he'll recover from this," said Steve Yeager, co-MVP of the 1981 World Series with Guerrero.

"He's too young to have this happen to him."

Orel Hershiser was called up to the Dodgers in 1983 to begin his Hall of Fame pitching career, and Guerrero played behind him. Hershiser saw Guerrero last year at an alumni game at Dodger Stadium.

Guerrero played 15 seasons in the major leagues with the Los Angeles Dodgers and St. Louis Cardinals.

The slugger won the World with the Dodgers and played in five All-Star Games.

Associated Press

Yankees starter CC Sabathia unloads during Tuesday's 5-0 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays in St Petersburg, Florida. Ukim Klement / Sa Today Sports