Nobody doubted A.J. Burnett has the stuff worthy of the five-year, $82.5 million deal he signed with the Yankees last December. But there were plenty of skeptics who wondered if he'd be worth the investment. After all, Burnett is already 32, and the two most recent seasons in which he was both durable and dominant (2005 and 2008) were also seasons in which he was pitching for a new contract.
The last pitcher the Yankees signed who had his best seasons during his free agent years was Carl Pavano, who made a mere 26 starts and alienated dozens of teammates during four injury- and scandal-plagued seasons. But Burnett has certainly been the anti-Pavano in his first two starts with the Yankees. Burnett carried a no-hitter into the seventh inning Tuesday and recovered from his lone hiccup to pitch eight innings and earn the win as the Yankees ended a two-game losing streak with a 7-2 victory at Tampa Bay.
Burnett gave up just two runs on three hits and one walk while striking out nine in a masterful 103-pitch performance Tuesday. His only blemish through six innings was a second-inning walk he issued to Pat Burrell. He may have been even more impressive in minimizing the seventh-inning damage after the Rays tied the game in a span of 12 pitches on singles by Carl Crawford, Evan Longoria and Carlos Pena and a sacrifice fly by Burrell.
Burnett struck out Dioner Navarro and catcher Jose Molina picked Pena off first to end the inning. After Mark Teixeira gave the Yankees the lead with a sacrifice fly in the top of the eighth, Burnett retired the Rays in order on just 10 pitches in the eighth.
It was the second straight impressive start for Burnett, who won his Yankees debut April 8 by allowing two runs in 5 1/3 innings against the Orioles. It was another sign that perhaps his performance for the Blue Jays last season (when he set career highs with 18 wins, 34 starts, 231 strikeouts and 221 1/3 innings) was an omen of things to come and not a well-timed salary drive.
YANKEES 7, RAYS 2: A.J. Burnett carried a no-hitter into the seventh inning and threw eight strong frames, and Derek Jeter's three-run homer in the top of the ninth capped a late flurry by the Yankees as they beat the Rays in St. Petersburg, Fla. The Yankees led 2-0 entering the seventh before the Rays broke up Burnett's no-hitter and tied the game in a span of 12 pitches, but Mark Teixeira hit a sacrifice fly in the eighth and Brett Gardner delivered an RBI double prior to Jeter's homer. Burnett allowed two runs on three hits and one walk while striking out nine. Gardner and Jeter each finished 3-for-5, while Nick Swisher continued his scorching play by hitting a solo homer, his fourth round-tripper of the year, in the fourth inning.
