Yankees Plan to Use Four-Man Rotation, Start A.J. Burnett in ALCS
October 11, 2010
by Knox Bardeen
Filed under: Yankees, MLB Playoffs
When the American League Championship Series is set — no matter who they play, whether it’s Texas or Tampa Bay — the New York Yankees plan to use a four-man rotation.
Yankees general manager Brian Cashman told a group of assembled reporters that he believed the pitcher to round out the rotation would be A.J. Burnett, who will slide into the rotation after CC Sabathia, Phil Hughes and Andy Pettitte.
Burnett, who posted a 10-15 regular-season record and had a 5.95 ERA after the All-Star Break, was left out of the three-man rotation the Yankees used in their best-of-five series against Minnesota. Now that New York will be playing a best-of-seven series in the ALCS, the Yankees wanted to add depth to their rotation.
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A.J. Burnett Left Out of Yankees’ Division Series Rotation
October 6, 2010
by Tom Fornelli
Filed under: Twins, Yankees, MLB Playoffs, American League Division Series
Last week Yankees starter A.J. Burnett said he was expecting to be a part of the team’s starting rotation in the ALDS.
Considering the way Burnett has performed on the mound for the Yankees lately, calling Burnett delusional wouldn’t exactly be a stretch.
Yankees manager Joe Girardi said Tuesday that Burnett would be available out of the bullpen during the Division Series.
It seems that Girardi is more comfortable going with CC Sabathia on short rest in a potential Game 4 than rolling the dice with Burnett, and it’s hard to blame him for it. The plan is to have Sabathia and Andy Pettitte start the first two games in Minnesota, then to hand the ball to Phil Hughes in Game 3 with Sabathia returning on three days’ rest for Game 4. Pettitte would then pitch a possible fifth game on full rest.
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A.J. Burnett Expects to Start in Playoffs
September 28, 2010
by Tom Fornelli
Filed under: Yankees, MLB Playoffs
A.J. Burnett hasn’t had the best season for the Yankees this year. With just a week left in the season Burnett is 10-15 with a 5.33 ERA, and were he not pitching for a team with an offense as explosive as the Yankees, that win-loss record would probably be a lot worse. Still, it doesn’t seem Burnett has paid much attention to his ERA or his less-than-impressive 1.84 strikeouts for every walk he’s given up.
That can be the only explanation for why, when he was asked what role he would serve in for the Yankees once the playoffs begin, Burnett said, “I expect to start.”
This was after Burnett lasted only 2 1/3 innings against the Blue Jays on Monday night, allowing seven runs and seven hits. Since Burnett seemed to have figured things out in July — a month in which he went 3-1 with a 2.00 ERA — he has gone 1-7 with a 6.98 ERA. That’s not exactly the kind of stretch run that will give Joe Girardi the confidence to send Burnett out there to start in a playoff game.
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Selling Short: Will Pettitte Be Better Than Burnett on Three Days’ Rest?
September 2, 2010
by Ed Price
Filed under: Yankees, MLB Playoffs, World Series
PHILADELPHIA — Ready and willing is one thing.
Able is another.
“Oh yeah,” Andy Pettitte said with a definitive nod when FanHouse asked if he’d be able to pitch Game 6 of the World Series on short rest. “Whenever they tell me to pitch.”
But how will it go?
CC Sabathia was fine on three days’ rest in Game 4. A.J. Burnett — less durable than Sabathia but younger than Pettitte — was awful in Game 5.
Game 5: Phillies 8, Yankees 6 | Box Score | Series Home