(Sports Network) - Fausto Carmona tries to follow up a scintillating 2007 season, while the Cleveland Indians attempt to go 2-0 for the second straight year, in tonight's middle contest of their three-game series with the Chicago White Sox at Progressive Field.

Carmona seemingly came out of nowhere a year ago to win 19 games for the AL Central champion Indians. After failing as a closer and going just 1-10 in 2006, Carmona was inserted into the rotation early last season because of injuries to Cliff Lee and Jake Westbrook and never left.

The 24-year-old right-hander, who pitched to a 3.06 earned run average and held righties to a .216 batting average last season, has faced the White Sox seven times (five starts) in his young career and is 1-3 with a 6.04 ERA.

Cleveland got its season off on a winning note on Monday, as Franklin Gutierrez went 3-for-3 with a three-run homer and a walk to lift the Indians to a 10-8 win. Casey Blake had a three-run double in the eighth inning that decided the game for the Tribe, who also beat Chicago in last year's season opener.

Victor Martinez collected two hits for Cleveland before leaving in the second inning with a leg injury. The team has not released any new information on the injury, only saying that he is day-to-day.

C.C. Sabathia, the reigning AL Cy Young winner, gave up five runs on six hits in 5 1/3 innings for the Indians. Making his fifth Opening Day start, Sabathia struck out seven in the no decision.

Rafael Betancourt tossed 1 2/3 innings of scoreless relief, allowing just three hits, to get the win.

Jim Thome, a former Indian, hit a pair of two-run homers while Jermaine Dye hit a solo shot as part of his 3-for-4 day for the White Sox.

Chicago starter Mark Buehrle was roughed up in his sixth career season-opening start, as he gave up seven runs in the second inning and lasted just 1 2/3 frames overall.

Octavio Dotel (0-1), who Chicago signed as a free agent this offseason, gave up Blake's double and took the loss.

Chicago will hand the ball tonight to right-hander Javier Vazquez, who led the White Sox with 15 wins a year ago and pitched to his lowest ERA (3.74) in four years. After struggling at the outset of the season, Vazquez finished strong, allowing three earned runs or less in 15 of his final 19 games and lasting at least six innings in all but one of them.

Vazquez has faced the Tribe 11 times in his career and is 5-3 with a 3.84 ERA against them. Last year he was 2-1 versus Cleveland with a 3.06 ERA in three starts.

The Indians won 11 of their 18 matchups with the White Sox a year ago and are 23-15 against them over the past two seasons, including a 12-7 mark in Cleveland in that time.