After letting his frustrations get the better of him in his previous start, imploding for his worst outing of the year Monday in Tampa, A.J. Burnett vowed not to do the same last night versus the Mets. And he got through a bases-loaded, no-out jam to start the game, bouncing back to pitch the Yankees to a 7-3 Subway Series win.
Burnett (5-3) had blown a four-run lead at Tampa Bay, coughing up eight hits, six earned runs and three homers, all season-highs. But last night, he held the Mets to six hits and three runs in his 6 1/3 innings.
“Last game I let it get away, and I wasn’t going anything bother me to take my mind in the wrong direction,” Burnett said. “That’s huge. The less hard I am on myself and the more able I am to turn the page [the better].” You can’t let things bother you. When I do, that’s when they explode.”
The Mets seemed ready to explode after Burnett loading the bases with nobody out in the first. But he held Jason Bay to a sacrifice fly on a knuckle curve, then fanned Fernando Martinez. After Justin Turner’s RBI single, he retired Josh Thole to escape down just 2-0.
After Turner’s single, Burnett retired 11 of the next 12. After a 30-pitch first inning, he allowed just one run and three hits over his next 70 pitches, and the Yankees bats woke up with four homers and seven runs to make him a winner.
“My last game I let the two pitches over the plate really bother me, and it hurt me. I wasn’t going to let that happen,” Burnett said. “Larry [Rothschild] talks about putting the blinders on; if I strike you out or it’s a home run, I’ve still got to make a pitch. I’ve still got a guy coming to the plate, and I’ve got to get him out.”
