Blue Jays look for 2nd win over Yankees

Alex Rodriguez turned in some solid at-bats in his return to baseball after a year-long drug suspension.

He'll have to adjust his swing considerably Wednesday night against knuckleballer R.A. Dickey.

Dickey, who started the past two openers for Toronto, is enteringthe final season of a three-year deal with the Blue Jays after consecutive 14-13 campaigns. The 40-year-oldthrew a team-high 215 2/3 innings last year and posted a 3.71 ERA.

Rodriguez, who was largely cheeredinhis return from suspension on Monday,is 8 for 22 with a homer and two doubles in his career against Dickey, who started on opening day each of the previous two years.

Dickey owns a 4.74 ERA in April for his worst mark in any month. The right-hander is 4-3 with a 3.00 ERA in 10 starts versus the Yankees, including 3-0 with a 1.04 ERA in the last four.

The Blue Jays, though, are 0-3 when he starts at Yankee Stadium.

New York gives the baseball to Michael Pineda, who went 2-0 with a 1.42 ERA with one walk over 19 innings in five spring starts. He went 5-5 with a 1.89 ERA last year in 13 outings, missing nearly four months with a shoulder injury.

Pineda has faced Toronto more than any opponent, going 1-2 with a 4.11 ERA in five outings. Sluggers Jose Bautista and Edwin Encarnacion are a combined 5 for 27 against the right-hander, who limited opponents to a .200 average in 2014. Bautista is the only one current Toronto player to have homered off Pineda but is coming off an 0-for-5, three-strikeout opener.

Encarnacion and rookie Devon Travis homered to begin this three-game set. Toronto scored five runs in the third inning, with former Yankees catcher Russell Martin singling in two.

"Martin got it started," manager John Gibbons said. "A lot of good things happened."

The Blue Jays prevailed even though its batters finished with double the amount of strikeouts to hits (12-6).

Encarnacion is hitting .344 with four homers against the Yankees since the start of last year.

Rodriguez's single was one of three hits for New York. Brett Gardner homered and Brian McCann singled.

Didi Gregorius went 0 for 2 before he was hit by a pitch on the elbow in his last at-bat. The shortstop, who was caught stealing with the Yankees down by five runs in the eighth inning, said he will be fine.

"Hopefully he's OK, hopefully the day off helps," manager Joe Girardi said. "He said he was OK, I think you have to wait to see how he feels on Wednesday."

The Yankees are looking to avoid starting 0-2 for the fourth straight year.