DETROIT — The Yankees need A.J. Burnett to be better than CC Sabathia.
In the history of the Yankees, there have been few more discouraging thoughts at this time of year. First because Sabathia — in possibly his last game with the team — pitched poorly enough in Game 3 to even make it a subject. And, second, because now the Yankees’ season rests with A.J. Burnett, whom the organization trusts so little it was trying to avoid using him at all in this Division Series.
So ignore the cover story the Yankees are offering about their confidence in Burnett. They have as much confidence in him as he has in himself, which is to say not much. Actions will speak louder than false bravado, and tonight Joe Girardi will show his true faith by having an incredibly quick hook; by trying to make sure Burnett does not actually finish off this Yankees campaign.
That the season is in jeopardy brings us back to Sabathia. The loss in Detroit’s 5-4 victory went to Rafael Soriano. But that is just paperwork. Even Sabathia acknowledged this was “my fault. . . . It’s tough. I put us in a bad spot.”
He did that by continuing what has not been particularly good pitching the last two months. He allowed four runs in 5 1/3 innings and was clearly out-dueled in what was supposed to be an ace showdown by Justin Verlander.
It leaves the Yankees in a perplexing situation. Sabathia can opt out of his contract after this season with four years and $92 million left. The feeling has been the lefty will do that. After all, if the Yankees do not have Sabathia what do they do for an ace in 2012? Does anyone see free agents C.J. Wilson or Japanese sensation Yu Darvish as a rotation leader for a $200 million championship contender?
But Sabathia’s heavy workload and heavy body remain worrisome. No pitcher has thrown more innings the last five years than Sabathia. And after showing up slimmer in spring, Sabathia has appeared to gain the weight back and more during the course of the season.
What is the greater risk: Not having him and trying to win in the short run or giving him an additional two or three years at mega-dollars and hoping he can really stay close to an elite pitcher for six or seven more seasons?
Meanwhile, the fate of the Yankees’ season will be in the hands of a pitcher who they wish wasn’t signed for next year — or the one after that. Burnett has two seasons left on his contract and he will be coming off the two worst ERA campaigns in Yankees history for someone allowed to make 30 starts.
In other words, the worst fears of the past 10 months are being realized. The Yankees survived a regular season without Cliff Lee or Andy Pettitte or a suitable replica. But the problem the organization and its fan base has been worried about for 10 months manifests fully tonight when they are at the mercy of Burnett’s flighty concentration and poor decision making, especially under duress. And the duress for the Yankees begins with the National Anthem. They are nine innings from forcing a decisive Game 5 or going home.
Yes, the rain hurt. It forced the Yankees to lose Sabathia after just six outs of Game 1. But Verlander lasted just three outs and came back last night with eight winning innings during which he was often brilliant, hitting triple digits regularly with his fastball and offsetting it with a curveball from hell.
Sabathia was never brilliant. He dismissed it as an excuse he would not accept, but he clearly was upset about not getting calls on the outside corner from home-plate ump Gerry Davis. Perhaps that explains his career-high-tying six walks.
But as was the case often late in the season, there was just less finish to Sabathia’s pitches; he could get to two strikes but not end at-bats. Thirteen of the 26 batters he faced reached safely, and he was undone not by mid-order threats Miguel Cabrera and Victor Martinez, but by Ramon Santiago and Brandon Inge.
He insisted his arm and body felt good and talked about doing better “the next time I pitch.” But when will that be — and for whom? He was less than ace last night, which put the short-term Yankees future and his long-term status in uncertainty.
For now everything with the Yankees rests in the hand of A.J. Burnett. It could hardly be in a worse place.
joel.sherman@nypost.com