YANKEES 10TIGERS 1
Just when you thought the Yankees were done, they pull you right back in.
The Yankees staved off elimination from the 2011 postseason last night, thanks in large part to a solid performance from the unlikeliest of sources: A.J. Burnett.
Coming into the game, many feared that Burnett would find a way to royally screw up the Yankees chances with a typical A.J. meltdown, but instead, the erratic right hander delivered the performance of his Yankee career.
In late August, Burnett was in a similar spot, he needed to win a game against the Red Sox to help right a struggling Yankee's team. Nobody believed he could do it, and, like last night, he surprised with six solid innings when New York won that ball game and rolled to a division title.
Perhaps Tuesday night was the beginning of another Yankee run; it sure felt like it. In the bottom of the first, Burnett got into some serious trouble, walking the bases loaded with two out. It appeared that the doomed inning everyone feared was about to happen. Burnett tried to cruise a fastball to Don Kelly, but the lanky left handed batter cracked it to deep center field.
The ball's trajectory was speeding for the sweet spot underneath the padding of the center field wall, until former Tiger Curtis Granderson lept into the air, caught the ball, and fell to the ground, to saving Burnett's skin.
With Burnett bailed out, the Yankee offense pounded Tigers righty and New Jersey product, Rick Porcello. In the third inning with two men on, Mister Postseason, Derek Jeter cracked a two run double to left center to give the Yankees a stunning 2-0 lead.
The quick strike by Jeter quieted down the Tiger faithful and set the tone for the night.
In the fifth, the Yankee bats tacked on Granderson's double to right, scoringd Brett Gardner to make it 3-1; then, Alex Rodriguez, who has struggled in this series, skied to center field, Jeter tagged from third and scored to give New York a 4-1 lead.
The Yankees later added six runs in the eighth inning thanks in part to shoddy pitching by the Tigers. A balk on Al Alburquerque allowed A-Rod to score from third with the bases loaded, and a wild pitch by Dan Schlereth allowed Jesus Montero to score later in the inning.
Burnett settled down nicely after that first inning. He pitched five and two-thirds innings, scattering four hits and walking four, while striking out three. His fastball was nasty at times, causing many Tiger hitters to swing and miss. It was the start the Yankees desperately needed from him.
With the series tied at two apiece, the Yankees will host the Tigers Thursday night at 8 pm on TBS. Ivan Nova, who was extraordinary in relief in Game One will make the start against Doug Fister. In a post season where the Yankees feared what they would receive from their starting rotation after CC Sabathia, they cannot complain. Nova, Burnett and Freddy Garcia have pitched well in this series, big reasons why New York is still in it.
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