Panic in the Bronx? Sabathia Rocked in NY Debut

When CC Sabathia signed a seven year $161 million dollar contract with the Yankees during the winter, this wasn't exactly what they had in mind.

Sabathia allowed 8 hits, and 6 earned runs in 4 1/3 innings in Monday's season opener against Baltimore. He also walked 5. The alarming stat is that he had zero strikeouts. It was the first time in 4 years that he did not strike out anyone in a game. The Yankees lost the game 10-5.

Sabathia said, "I was terrible. I battled from the first inning on. At some point I'm usually able to find it. Today was just one of those days where I didn't. When I have one of those days, this is the result you get."

There really shouldn't be a reason to panic, Sabathia was 0-3 with an ERA of 13.50 after 4 starts a year ago. So a bad start to the season is nothing new. However things tend to become more magnified when they happen to the team from the Bronx.

Not helping matters was the fact that the Yankees other big offseason signing, Mark Teixeira, also struggled big time. Teixeira went 0-for-4 and stranded five runners, including two in the eighth after New York had cut a five-run deficit to 6-5.

On the plus side for the Bombers, Jorge Posada and Hideki Matsui homered, and Derek Jeter had 3 hits. But it just wasn't going to be NY's day. After trailing 6-1, the Yankees cut the lead to 6-5. But the O's continued to hammer Yankee pitching, pounding out 14 hits and 10 runs.

The two teams will go at it again tomorrow at Camden Yards in Baltimore. Chen Ming Wang will go for the Yankees, Koji Uehara will be on the mound for the O's.