A.J. Burnett set to make another crucial start against Red Sox

The concerns about how far this New York Yankees club will go this fall are being expedited big time in this week's series against the Boston Red Sox.

Tuesday nights impressive 5-2 victory was huge from the standpoint it gave CC Sabathia his first win against Boston this year, in an epic 128 pitch marathon, that saw him throw 50 pitches through the first two innings of the game. Sabathia who was 0-4 with a 7.20 ERA against Boston this year, needed to show the Yankees he can beat their biggest rival, for if he struggles against them, then nobody can pitch well against Boston. While Tuesday was a shuttle reminder of how good the Yankees could be when things are clicking for them, Wednesday night was an example of what can go wrong for this team.

Phil Hughes was putrid again. Giving up six runs in five and two-thirds innings, Hughes' ERA rose to 6.75, and, now tonight the Bombers turn to A.J. Burnett.

Burnett has been the model of inconsistency and failure all season long. Last week after imploding against the Twins, Burnett was taken out of the game, when he turned to Joe Girardi and appeared to be talking back at his manager. The episode led Girardi to come to Burnett's defense later in the post-game when he angrily told a reporter that he and Burnett "had a fist-fight," calling such questions "ridiculous."

But this is all Girardi can do, defend Burnett as often as possible. Fact is Burnett can't hide from a 9-11 record and a 5.31 ERA. Tonight he goes up against Boston's ace Jon Lester (14-6), and if all goes as one would expect it could be an ugly night for the Yankees that drops them 2.5 behind Boston for the divisional title.

No matter what happens to the Yankees over the next 28 days, they will make the postseason, but their problems in the rotation is such a black eye that it will be hard to envision them moving past the first round.

Sure Ivan Nova (11-4) has been spectacular, and outside of Sabathia is the Yankees only reliable arm, but after Nova and CC, the Yankees have to hang their hopes on Freddy Garcia, who is coming off a cut finger, Bartolo Colon, who has been inconsistent and Hughes and Burnett.

Match this staff up against the Texas Rangers who have a lot of good pitchers, and one of the best offenses in baseball and it will be difficult to see the Yankees winning more than two games in a best-of-five set.

Match the Yankees up against the Tigers, you can call game one a wash with Sabathia squaring off against Justin Verlander, and again after Sabathia the Yankees don't have a reliable answer in the rotation.

Whoever steps up over the next four weeks will determine who will remain in the rotation, and who will even remain on the roster come October. For Burnett this is his chance to save his job. As a veteran pitcher with electric stuff, he has an edge over Hughes, and even the hulking Colon to make the team in October, but another lackluster outing in Boston and the Yankees will have some tough decisions to make.

The choice is Burentt's to make.