BALTIMORE — How is this for stating the obvious?
“We need him to pitch better,” Yankeees manager Joe Girardi said of struggling A.J. Burnett.
Speaking before yesterday’s 2-0 loss in the opener of a day-night doubleheader at Camden Yards, Girardi said he will attempt to shave his suspect rotation from six to five arms following Thursday night’s game against the Red Sox in Boston.
“I’m not going to base it on one outing,” Girardi said of judging Bartolo Colon (yesterday’s starter), Freddy Garcia (tonight’s starter) or Burnett (who starts Thursday). “I don’t think it’s fair. The bottom line is that we need to pitch well. If we’re going to win the [AL East], we need to pitch better.”
In the four previous games to yesterday’s opener — which saw Colon pitch brilliantly — Phil Hughes, CC Sabathia, Colon and Burnett combined to go 0-2 with a whopping 10.14 ERA. In 21 1/3 innings, the quartet gave up 31 hits and three walks.
Burnett is the biggest project. In five August starts he is 1-2 with an obese 12.23 ERA and has given up 44 hits in 22 innings. Burnett was spanked for nine hits and nine runs in a 12-5 loss to the O’s Friday night.
Afterward, Burnett said the beating was the result of not using his above-average fastball inside enough.
“I think it helps,” Girardi said of working inside. “After you go inside the hitter isn’t as comfortable and you get away with more. The strike zone looks a lot bigger.”
Former Orioles ace Jim Palmer stopped by Burnett’s locker for a long chat yesterday morning.
“He told me to relax. He said in the past I looked more relaxed,” Burnett said. “He said to check my finger pressure because if the grip on the ball is tight, you aren’t as smooth. He also talked about breathing techniques, trying to hear your heartbeat. He said to relax and have fun.”
When pitchers struggle everybody has a theory or a suggestion. Burnett isn’t one to block them out no matter how many come his way.
“I’m 34 years old, but if somebody has been in the same [spots] I have been, I’ll listen,” Burnett said. “Jim is a Hall of Famer and you have to take something. It doesn’t make any difference if I’m 18-5 or 9-11, if anybody has something I’ll listen to it.”
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Since Sabathia’s last start was Wednesday, his regular turn to pitch would be tonight. However, Girardi opted to give Garcia his first start since Aug. 7 due to a cut on the right index finger.
That means Sabathia, clearly the staff ace, will open a three-game series with the Red Sox tomorrow night at Fenway Park.
Sabathia is 0-4 with a 7.20 ERA in four games against Boston this year. In 25 innings, the Red Sox have collected 33 hits, drawn 10 walks (one intentional) and have been hit three times.
Sabathia will be followed by Hughes and Burnett, who is 0-4 with an 8.71 ERA in eight games against the Red Sox as a Yankee.
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Nick Swisher rolled his right ankle making a play in right field in the first game but was in the lineup for the nightcap.
“I don’t know if the field was wet or not stable, but I turned to pivot and fire the ball in (to second) and rolled it,” Swisher said.
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Francisco Cervelli had an ice pack on his left knee after taking a foul tip on it.
“It’s a bruise, that’s all,” said Cervelli, who was hit for by Russell Martin in the eighth inning. Cervelli said the knee didn’t play a part in him leaving the game. . . . Robinson Cano‘s 18-game hitting streak ended with a 0-for-3 in the first game yesterday. The streak tied a career high.
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Orioles manager Buck Showalter felt the Yankees should have been more reserved in their harsh words about the Orioles not wanting to get ahead of Hurricane Irene and play a doubleheader Friday night in light of the death of Orioles legend Mike Flanagan earlier in the week.
“First of all, I felt that some of the stuff was a little disrespectful to Flanny, quite frankly. That didn’t sit with me very well. I can tell you that,” Showalter told The Baltimore Sun. “We didn’t say much — I think we had an April rainout there — and they just told us when we were playing. We were OK with that.”