Burnett's Disastrous Month Continues, Yanks Fall 9-4

(A.J. takes out his frustrations on a bucket of gum.)

Final123456789RHEN.Y. Yankees301000000481L.A. Dodgers «20320020x9111WP: H. Kuroda (7-5) LP: A. Burnett (6-7)

Congratulations A.J., you just had the worst month in Yankees history. His 11.35 ERA this June was the worst in by any Yankees pitcher with at least five starts in a month. Honestly, I may just stop watching games he starts until he gets back on track, because it's becoming a frustrating waste of time.

Last night, he was handed a 3-0 lead before he even took the mound, thanks to a first-inning three-run homer by Mark Teixeira. But it didn't take too long for Burnett to begin giving those runs back. Two of the first three batters he faced singled, Manny Ramirez was next and drove in a run with a ground-rule double, and then James Loney drove in another with a sacrifice fly.

Both teams went down scoreless in the second, and then the Yankees extended their lead back up to two with a run in the third. That would be the last lead of the game for the Yankees, because Burnett, who had a decent second inning, completely fell apart.

Here's the first five batters of the bottom of the third: 5-pitch walk, single, 5-pitch walk, single, 5-pitch walk. He finally recorded an out, actually two, when Russel Martin grounded into a double play, but the lead run would score on the play and it was 5-4 Dodgers.

The Yankees had a chanced to score in the next inning, when they got two on with one out. Nick Swisher reached when Dodgers starter Hiroki Kuroda threw a wild pitch on a swinging strike three, and Brett Gardner singled a couple batters later to put men on the corners with the pitcher's spot coming up.

Burnett had already given up five runs so I figured Girardi would hand this one over to the pen, even after just three, and bring up a pinch hitter. Well, he didn't, Burnett bunted Gardner over to second, and Derek Jeter struck out to end the inning, and worst of all, Burnett was coming out for the fourth.

Burnett allowed the first two batters to reach; Furcal on a bunt single and Kemp on a walk, and that would be the end of his day. So by trying to get an extra inning or two out of Burnett not only led to giving away a free out with runners on the corners, but it meant that Boone Logan now has to come in the game in the fourth, but instead of nobody on, they're are now two on with nobody out. Maybe it's just me, but I think it's easier for a pitcher to come out of the pen to start an inning rather than in the middle of a rally.

Logan not only allowed both of the inherited runners to score, but one of his own and the Dodgers extended their lead to 7-4.

Those two runners made it six runs allowed on six hits and six walks for Burnett in just 3

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Mets Level of Mistrust Between Management and Players Continues to Grow

"WASHINGTON - MAY 20: John Maine #33 of the New York Mets talks to manager Jerry Manuel after being removed in the first inning of the game against the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park on May 20, 2010 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Greg Fiume/Getty Images)" class

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Fenway Continues To Be House Of Horrors For A.J.

(Photo by Jim Rogash/Getty Images)

Final123456789RHEN.Y. Yankees000200010371Boston «01512000x9100WP: J. Lester (3-2) LP: A. Burnett (4-1)
It wasn't always this way. Prior to coming to the Yankees, A.J. Burnett was 3-0, with a 0.40 ERA in Fenway. But since the beginning of 2009 he's 0-3, with an ERA of 12.68. His latest Fenway meltdown came yesterday afternoon when he gave up 9 runs (8 earned) on 9 hits over 4.1 innings in a 9-3 Yankees loss. As he would later admit, he didn't have a good feel of his fastball and it cost him.

“I had a good hook tonight, but I didn’t have a good heater,” Burnett said after the game. “I had a good fastball early but after that, everything was up. .... They all went where they weren’t supposed to go.”

By the end of the third, the poor command of that fastball had led to a 6-0 Red Sox lead.

The Yankees would get two back in the top of the fourth on solo homers by Nick Swisher and Alex Rodriguez. A-Rod's homer was the 586th of his career, tying him for 7th all-time with Frank Robinson.

With the Yankees now down by only four, Burnett had a chance to redeem himself a little if he could just keep the Sox off the board and give the Yanks a chance to come back. But that didn't happen. Burnett gave a run right back in the bottom half of the fourth when he gave up a two-out RBI double to Kevin Youkilis. Boston would add two more in the fifth on a two-run homer by Jeremy Hermida. Hermida was the last batter Burnett faced.

Jon Lester was much better for Boston. The two solo homers would be all the Yanks would score off the Boston lefty, who allowed just 4 hits and 2 walks, while striking out 7 in 7 innings pitched.

The Yankees scored a third run on a Robinson Cano RBI single off Manny Delcarmen in the 8th, but they never got any major rallies going.



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