Big League Stew - MLB

Big League Stew

Mon Nov 02, 2009 10:28 pm EST

With World Series win on line, A.J. Burnett takes early exit

By 'Duk

PHILADELPHIA — And on the fourth day, A.J. Burnett(notes) wilted.

Charged with taking the ball on three days rest and carrying the Yankees over the threshold to their 27th championship, the pitcher wasn't up to the challenge in the Phillies' 8-6 victory in Game 5. The $80 million righthander gave up six runs — including a three-run homer to Chase Utley(notes) in the first inning — over just two innings of work against the Phillies. 

"I had a chance to do something special tonight and I failed," Burnett said.

Burnett was masterful against the Phillies in his big Game 2 win last Thursday and was the owner of a three days rest record that was a bit reassuring to Yankees fans. But neither was enough to guarantee great command or a compliant Phillies lineup the next time out. It's hard not to applaud Burnett's willingness to be handed the ball with a championship on the line, but he just didn't have enough to lock it down early in Philadelphia.

Andy Pettitte(notes)? You might be next. 

Related: A.J. Burnett, Andy Pettitte, Chase Utley, 2009 postseason on the Stew, 2009 World Series on the Stew

digg delicious
more

15 Comments

Post a Comment
  1. R.M.
    1. Posted by R.M. Mon Nov 02, 2009 11:29 pm EST

    Report Abuse

    Leeeeeeeeeeeee
  2. buznman83
    2. Posted by buznman83 Mon Nov 02, 2009 11:52 pm EST

    Report Abuse

    The Yanks are now in trouble thanks to Garardi. We now will pitch the 37 year old Pettitte on short rest for game 6! Then CC again in game 7. Way to go skip! run it into the ground for us!
  3. NYY
    3. Posted by NYY Tue Nov 03, 2009 12:00 am EST

    Report Abuse

    The Phillies absolute strongest point is Cliff Lee. Sure there are other fine players on the team but not quite enough to make it to the finish line...and remember one man does not make a team...So Philadelphia you used your points last year...
  4. Dazlin
    4. Posted by Dazlin Tue Nov 03, 2009 12:30 am EST

    Report Abuse

    Giradi could have you used a fourth pitcher tonight and would have had a better rested Burnett for game five. Burnett has been horrible on the road this year and I don't know what Skip was thinking. Anyway I still like the Yanks chances, if it wasn't for Coke game probably would have went to extra innings. Its been a good series so far and the Yankees get to close the new stadium out with a win. GO YANKEES!!!!
  5. InBredCornfedSheepdoinker
    5. Posted by InBredCornfedSheepdoinker Tue Nov 03, 2009 12:33 am EST

    Report Abuse

    Post #1
    I'll give you credit, you tried to make it look like you were not whining, but the fact remains that you were. Go ahead and make excuses, "the Yankees pitchers didn't get calls behind the plate", "Burnett was tired". You are starting to sound like a Green Bay Packers fan. Precisely why I quit being a Yankees fan many years ago, I didn't want to be associated or stereotyped with the rest of Yankees fans.............whiners if they win or lose.....no class.
  6. jakeb
    6. Posted by jakeb Tue Nov 03, 2009 1:35 am EST

    Report Abuse

    For what it's worth A.J., don't beat yourself up over it. You've at least accomplished things I never will, and that's to play baseball for a major league team AND play in a Series game! So go out there and give it your best for all of us downtrodden "rats in a cage".
  7. InBredCornfedSheepdoinker
    7. Posted by InBredCornfedSheepdoinker Tue Nov 03, 2009 3:48 am EST

    Report Abuse

    J ta tha P
    Congratulations on being the next idiot whose best comment was something about a screenname that I use.
    I use it for that very reason, to prove that people can look at a name and then judge a persons lifestyle based upon it. In all reality it's a joke.....but you bit anyhow. Try thinking outside of the box once in a while, you just might be surprised how far you get.
    The truth is that if Girardi could manage at all, the series would already be over, any monkey could manage a club with the roster he has available to him.
  8. Your biological father
    8. Posted by Your biological father Tue Nov 03, 2009 4:14 am EST

    Report Abuse

    j ta tha p plays the rusty trombone!!!
  9. Older_than_Moses_Shaq
    9. Posted by Older_than_Moses_Shaq Tue Nov 03, 2009 10:29 am EST

    Report Abuse

    Will the real AJ Burnett please stand up...oh, he did.
  10. enviable
    10. Posted by enviable Tue Nov 03, 2009 11:13 am EST

    Report Abuse

    The Yankees took a calculated gamble going with a 3-man rotation in two 7-game series. It paid off against the Angels. Being 3-1 up and banking on one of the starters Burnett, Pettite or Sabathia to come through over three games is not a bad bet compared to going to someone from the bull pen -- no one has the confidence to start, not even Chamberlain. Perhaps Girardi could have took off Burnett after the first two batters got on in the third inning yesterday, but they had to give time for reliever to get ready. They have two more chances to win it all now.
  11. enviable
    11. Posted by enviable Tue Nov 03, 2009 11:18 am EST

    Report Abuse

    #4: Utley has been great, too
  12. Brian Lynch
    12. Posted by Brian Lynch Tue Nov 03, 2009 2:23 pm EST

    Report Abuse

    Aj Burnett saved the Yankees in game 2 at home. He is a different pitcher at away ballparks and he was on three days rest. Girardi should have pitched Gaudin against Lee and saved Burnett for game 6 at home where he has been dominate all postseason. HIs two bad outings were in Philly and in Anaheim. It was a definite mistake Girardi but I can't say I didn't want to go for the title at home with Pettite on the mound against King Douche Pedro. Everybody in the world wanted to see that matchup over a game 5 win in Philly with Burnett on the mound. Probably even Girardi...
  13. TOM W
    13. Posted by TOM W Tue Nov 03, 2009 3:15 pm EST

    Report Abuse

    Hey Burnett !! You know what you can do with your cream (puff) pies !!!
    What does "A.J." stand for anyway ?? I can think of a few possibilities ..
    ANYONE???
  14. Philip
    14. Posted by Philip Tue Nov 03, 2009 3:36 pm EST

    Report Abuse

    Why haven't Utley and Werth been HBP, knocked down, or, at a miminum brushed back??? A-rod has been hit three times in the Series alone!!! Phillies power hitters are too comfortable in the box and can therefore tee off on those fastballs down the middle -- pitches necessitated by poor location of off-speed stuff.
    Andy, knock them down, and definitely nail Utley -- you need to in order to back up Alex. Nail his ass, or thigh, or rib cage.
  15. genius_man16
    15. Posted by genius_man16 Tue Nov 03, 2009 4:45 pm EST

    Report Abuse

    AJ is too emotionial to close out a World Series. Sometimes that emotion can serve him well (Game 2) but as we saw last night, sometimes it completely fails him. He wasn't tired, as Girardi said he didn't have any command. This has been a problem with AJ throughout his whole career, but at this point it's not going to change. If he would learn to be a little like Cliff Lee (oh the irony) and be more stoic on the mound, he'd be the best pitcher in the game, bar none.

Big League Stew

Add to My Yahoo! RSS

'Duk

Big League Stew is an MLB blog edited by Kevin Kaduk. Email him, and follow him on Twitter.

Contributors:
David Brown, Alex Remington, Steve Henson, Curtis Granderson, Jay Levin,

Teams

Customize to follow news and rumors on your favorite teams. [ Sign in ]

Related Photo Gallery

More MLB Photos »

Y! Sports Blogs

Big League Stew Recent Readers

(provided by MyBlogLog)