TORONTO -- Blue Jays knuckleballer R.A. Dickey outduelled Michael Pineda with late home-run help from Melky Cabrera and Jose Bautista as Toronto blanked the New York Yankees 4-0 on Saturday.

Dickey (1-1) pitched a gem of the game but Toronto's lack of offence meant the game was balanced on a knife's edge as he worked to protect a slim 1-0 lead. He was aided instead by some nifty defence, some of which was his own handiwork.

An Adam Lind double and Josh Thole RBI single gave the Jays the 1-0 lead in the second inning. It could have been more but Thole was thrown out trying to take second with Ryan Goins at the plate. Goins' subsequent double was wasted.

A solo homer by Cabrera and two-run shot by Bautista, both off reliever David Phelps in the eighth, added some insurance for the Jays (3-3). It was Cabrera's second home run in as many days.

Toronto outhit New York 8-7.

Dickey exited with two out and one man on in the seventh, having held the Yankees (2-3) scoreless on five hits. The veteran right-hander struck out six and walked one in a 108-pitch performance that included 69 strikes.

With Francisco Cervelli on first, reliever Aaron Loup then drilled Yangervis Solarte on the side of the knee. Pinch-hitter Brian Roberts popped up to end the inning.

The top of the Yankees' order threatened in the eighth with men on first and second with no outs against Brett Cecil. The left-hander got two out and then gave way to right-hander Sergio Santos with men on second and third.

Santos struck out Alfonso Soriano to preserve the lead for Toronto. Colby Rasmus made a dazzling over-the-shoulder catch of a Cervelli blast to deep centre in the ninth to deny the Yankees.

Santos survived putting two men on in the ninth to get the save, striking out the red-hot Jacoby Ellsbury to end the game.

The afternoon contest drew an announced crowd of 45,446 to the Rogers Centre, the second straight sellout under the dome.

Pineda (0-1), in his first Yankees start after a lengthy injury absence, gave up one earned run on five hits in six innings. He threw 83 pitches, 58 for strikes, and struck out five with no walks.

The 25-year-old Pineda's last big league start was Sept. 21, 2011 as a Seattle Mariner.

He was traded to the Yankees after the 2011 season in a deal that sent catcher Jesus Montero to the Mariners. But the 2011 all-star was shelved by a shoulder injury during 2012 spring training.

The six-foot-seven 265-pound pitcher from the Dominican Republic returned to action last July, going 2-1 with a 3.32 ERA in 10 starts in the minors.

Dickey lost the season opener 9-2 to the Tampa Bay Rays, giving up a career-high six walks in five innings work. He also struck out four.

With the lid closed, Dickey was in his element with a dancing knuckleball.

The 39-year-old does his best work with the roof closed. He posted a 3.18 ERA in nine starts last season with the Rogers Centre enclosed. When the roof was open, his ERA was 6.67 with 16 home runs.

Cervelli doubled off Dickey to open the third after the first six Yankees went down in order. Dickey struck out the next two Yanks and Rasmus gunned down Cervelli at the plate on a single by Elllsbury.

The play survived a review, initiated by the umpiring crew to see whether Rasmus was blocking the plate. The perfectly placed throw was in front of Thole down the third-base line, meaning the catcher had to step over the plate to get to it.

The two collided at the plate but Thole held on to the ball.

The Yankees had something going in the sixth with a single and walk and none out. But Dickey, who received his Gold Glove award Friday, hauled in a Carlos Beltran hard liner to trigger a double play. A lineout completed the escape.

Yankees veteran Derek Jeter, who was rested Friday, was denied in his bid for a 3,319th career hit which would tie Paul Molitor for eighth on MLB's all-time list and fourth on the AL career list.

The Yankees have now gone the first five games of the season without a home run for only the fifth time since 1932.