DESERT STORM: A.J. Burnett wipes his face during the first inning of the Yankees’ 10-4 loss in Arizona. Burnett allowed seven runs in four innings.
PHOENIX — It’s not true all Yankee pitchers miss Dave Eiland. Yet it’s impossible to argue that A.J. Burnett isn’t one of them.
In the four starts Burnett has made since the pitching coach took a leave of absence for personal reasons, Burnett has been wretched.
Last night was the worst when the lowly Diamondbacks spanked him early and hard in a 10-4 victory that was witnessed by 47,229 at Chase Field.
“Dave is a big part of what we do here but I have been pitching for 11 years,” Burnett said after absorbing a brutal beating. “You would think I would make adjustments on my own. I am throwing the pitches whether Dave is in the dugout or not. I am a man, a pro athlete with a big contract, and I should be able to make adjustments on my own.”
Burnett never provided his mates a chance, giving up five runs after two outs in the first inning when Arizona swatted three homers, scored another run in the second and scored again in the fourth.
In four frames Burnett surrendered seven runs, nine hits and walked two.
The four-game slide evened the right-hander’s record at 6-6 and has turned him into an expensive question mark.
Nobody in the organization can give you an exact date when Eiland, whose strengths are instruction and correcting mechanical flaws, will return although it has been whispered before June turns into July.
In four outings since Eiland split on June 4 — the night Burnett faced the Blue Jays in Toronto — Burnett is 0-4 with a 10.35 ERA. In 20 innings he has given up 29 hits, nine of which are homers, and 11 walks.
Burnett suffered a bone bruise on the right foot in his last outing that required a bullpen session be delayed a day. But this weekend he said the foot felt fine and since he pushed the speed guns into the 95-mph range it didn’t appear to be a factor in the putrid performance.
Justin Upton, Adam LaRoche and Mark Reynolds homered for the winners in the first inning. Upton also crushed a three-run homer off Chan Ho Park in the eighth. He went 3-for-3, scored four runs and drove in four.
Rodrigo Lopez was the beneficiary of the offensive orgy and won for the first time since May 15. He is 3-6 after allowing three runs and eight hits in eight innings.
The loss slashed the Yankees’ AL East lead to one-half game over the Rays and Red Sox.
Manager Joe Girardi understands having bullpen coach Mike Harkey fill in for Eiland is a change. But he echoed Burnett’s feelings that it’s on the pitcher to pitch better.
“To place it on Hark . . . We miss Dave but A.J. knows what needs to be done to correct things. Dave has impact on all the pitchers. Could it? Yes but I can’t tell exactly what [Burnett’s problem] is.”
One way Girardi isn’t going to get Burnett back on track is to sit him. Unlike what the Yankees did with a struggling Javier Vazquez in the beginning of the season when he was skipped, Girardi doesn’t plan on that happening with Burnett.
“He is going to make his start Saturday [against the Dodgers],” Girardi said.