What We Learned: Short night for Burnett

PHILADELPHIA—Sporting News' Stan McNeal analyzes Game 5 of the World Series between the New York Yankees and Philadelphia Phillies:

1. Burnett struggles on short rest. As good as A.J. Burnett was in Game 2 on full rest, he was that bad in Game 5 on three days' rest. He was gone before he could record an out in the third, and he threw almost as many balls (25) as strikes (28) in giving up six runs on four hits and four walks. In Game 2, he threw first-pitch strikes to the first 11 hitters and prompted a veteran scout to say that he couldn't remember when a pitcher finished with more first-pitch strikes. "I was terrible early and just wanted to go as far I could go," Burnett said. "It's the worst feeling in the world to have a chance to do something special and have it end like that." Yankees manager Joe Girardi said the lack of an extra day's rest was not the problem. "I don't think there was a correlation," Girardi said. "He just lacked command."

2. Neither bullpen breeds confidence. Phillies manager Charlie Manuel went to Ryan Madson(notes) in the ninth inning a night after closer Brad Lidge(notes) gave up three runs in a tie game. Madson didn't exactly cruise, allowing the first two runners to reach before Derek Jeter(notes) bailed him out by grounding into a double play. Johnny Damon(notes) singled before Mark Teixeira(notes) struck out to end the game. "I wanted to give Lidge a break," Manuel said. Yankees relievers worked six innings and allowed only two runs. But those two runs, which came on homers off Phil Coke(notes) in the seventh, proved to be the difference. "We ended up with six runs," Girardi said. "Those were tack-on runs that hurt us."

3. Manuel not a fan of meetings. Of all the reasons that make Manuel easy to like, add this one: He doesn't like meetings. "Meetings are a downer," Manuel said when asked if he planned to have one before the Phillies faced elimination Monday night. "I mean, really. Meetings, most of the time a meeting, are to chew people out or try to improve the way you're playing or something that you don't like." Manuel prefers talking to his players in informal one-on-one settings like before or during batting practice. If they need loosening up, he'll joke around. If they need to pay closer attention, he won't hesitate to be a little more stern. Manuel spent much of the Game 3 rain delay in the dugout talking baseball with Shane Victorino(notes). Before Game 2, he was so busy entertaining reporters with stories about his minor league days that he almost missed the start of Phillies' batting practice.

4. Yankees like their meetings. If you think Yankees catchers have been holding an inordinate number of meetings on the mound, you're not alone. Seemingly every time a Phillie reaches second, the Yankees catcher visits his pitcher. Larry Bowa, the Dodgers' third base coach who spends his offseasons in the Philadelphia area, told a local radio station that he thinks he knows what is behind all the meetings. Bowa blames the Phillies' reputation for stealing the catcher's sign and relaying the pitch call to the hitter. The Yankees reduce the chance of this by having the catcher and pitcher verbally go over pitch selection. Asked about all the meetings, Girardi didn't dismiss Bowa's accusations. "There are a lot of instances that you go to the mound," Girardi said. Victorino wasn't happy with Bowa. "Weak," he said.

This story appears in Nov. 3's edition of Sporting News Today. If you are not receiving Sporting News Today, the only daily digital sports newspaper, sign up today for free.

Stan McNeal is a writer for Sporting News. E-mail him at smcneal@sportingnews.com.

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