Burn, baby, burn! A.J. shuts down Phillies in Game 2

October 30, 10:10 AMMLB ExaminerAlex Brown

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Burnett delivers a first inning pitch in Game 2

AP Photo/Elise Amendola

A.J. Burnett was signed this past offseason to be the Yankees number two starting pitcher, behind fellow free agent signee CC Sabathia. On Thursday night, the Yankees needed him to pitch like an ace to pull even with the Philadelphia Phillies in the 2009 World Series. Burnett responded to the challenge with 7 innings of 4-hit ball in which he struck out 9 Phillies hitters and allowed only one run en route to a 3-1 Yankee victory in Game 2.

Burnett has been plagued by control problems his entire career, and these could not have been more apparent than during Game 5 of the ALCS against the Los Angeles Angels, when Burnett got behind in the count early and often and gave up 4 runs before recording an out. Last night however, he threw first pitch strikes to the first 11 Phillies’ hitters and shut down a lineup that includes powerful lefties Ryan Howard, Raul Ibanez, and Game 1 hero Chase Utley.

Burnett’s opponent on the mound was Pedro Martinez, who is no stranger to facing the Yankees during the postseason. Pedro pitched very well himself in his first start in new Yankee Stadium, but allowed a few runs to cross in the later innings, giving up solo home runs to Mark Teixeira and Hideki Matsui. This proved to be all the Yankees needed offensively, as Burnett was followed by a six-out save from closer Mariano Rivera to put the Phillies away.

The Series goes to Philadelphia for Game 3, where the pitching matchup will be Andy Pettitte (NY) versus Cole Hamels (PHI). Neither is a stranger to postseason play – Pettitte is the all-time leader in postseason wins with 16, and Hamels was the 2008 World Series MVP.

Examiner.com 2009 MLB Postseason Coverage