Sabathia to open season, stadium for N.Y.

TAMPA, Fla., March 26 (UPI) -- Pitcher C.C. Sabathia has been given the starting assignments for both the New York Yankees' season and home opener, the team said.

Sabathia, who joined the Yankees this year after signing a seven-year, $161 million contract, will be New York Manager Joe Girardi's starting pitcher when the Yankees begin the season April 6 at Baltimore and on April 16 when New York opens the new Yankee Stadium.

Sabathia's April 16 start against Cleveland will be the first regular-season game in the new stadium.

The Yankees have scheduled two exhibitions before the season starts, playing the Chicago Cubs April 3-4. Chien-Ming Wang is to start the game on the third while A.J. Burnett and Andy Pettitte are both scheduled to pitch on April 4.

Sabathia, a left-hander, is in his ninth major-league season. He pitched the first seven for Cleveland and split last year between Cleveland and Milwaukee. He has a 117-73 record and 3.66 earned run average. The three-time All-Star and won the American League Cy Young Award after the 2007 season when he was 19-7 with a 3.21 ERA.