VIERA, Fla. — In three weeks, A.J. Burnett knows everything changes.
Every run the Yankees pitcher allows, even every hit he gives up will be reason to panic once the regular season begins. When the games begin to count, the microscope on Burnett only will grow stronger. That is why he is keeping a level head about his strong spring.
The X-factor to the Yankees season was on the mound again yesterday, and for the third time this spring Burnett pitched well. He gave up his first two runs of spring training, but nothing more against the Nationals. He struck out four, gave up two hits and, most importantly, walked no one over four innings.
“By no means am I happy or content right now,” Burnett said. “I’ve got a long way to go. I know that. Everything is different under the lights.”
The lights were not on at Space Coast Stadium yesterday. There were just 6,841 mostly Yankees fans on hand to watch a game in which you needed a program to know who was at-bat. It will be a much different feeling when April hits and Yankee Stadium is full.
Nevertheless, considering the disaster Burnett was in 2010, the Yankees must be encouraged by how well the 34-year-old has responded to the delivery changes Burnett made with new pitching coach Larry Rothschild over the winter.
Against the Nationals, Burnett struck out the side in the first inning before finding his first turbulence of the spring in the second. Adam LaRoche singled to start the inning, then Michael Morse hit a home run over the right-field fence to tie the game 2-2.
Unlike last year when Burnett unraveled at times at the first hint of trouble, he retired the next nine batters he faced before exiting after the fourth inning.
“I gave up the bomb and I didn’t care,” Burnett said.
Yankees manager Joe Girardi praised Burnett’s poise after the homer.
“That’s what you want your pitchers to be able to do,” Girardi said. “You don’t have a Nintendo controller. Sometimes you’re going to make good pitches, and they’re going to get hit, but he bounced right back and threw well the rest of the day.”
Known for his moodiness, Burnett appears to be in a good place right now. For Burnett, yesterday’s outing was a homecoming of sorts. Space Coast Stadium was where the Marlins played when Burnett was with the team. Burnett marveled at how much the area around the stadium had changed, and caught up with some of the stadium personnel he knew.
Burnett’s in-laws live near here, and instead of taking the two-hour bus ride, Burnett drove across Florida on Friday and spent the night with them. He was planning to eat at his favorite local Japanese steakhouse before riding back to Tampa last night.
Besides his ability to bounce back after the home run, Burnett also said he was happy with how he threw his curveball, saying it was the best of the spring.
“That was another positive step right there I think,” he said. “I was able to find my second pitch today I think, my curveball. I threw the ball pretty much where I wanted to.”
That’s something different from last year when Burnett plunked a league-high 19 batters. For now, Burnett said the corrections are coming easier.
“It’s fun to go out there and not worry about things,” he said. “Last year I didn’t feel like me a lot of times. Every start [this spring] I’ve felt like myself.”
