Though not satisfied, Burnett improving
Though not satisfied, Burnett improving
Though not satisfied, Burnett improving
There were moments last season when A.J. Burnett would sneer toward home plate, a few runs already littering the scoreboard behind him, and he would try to feign invincibility that he himself couldn't believe in. where to buy cheap MLB Jerseys?ujersy is a good choice.
If Burnett wasn't buying the ruse, how could big league hitters? The good news for the Yankees is that Burnett looked and acted a lot more like the pitcher he wants to be on Monday, retiring all nine Phillies to face him in a 7-1 Grapefruit League victory.
Burnett's clean run through Philadelphia's lineup included zipping a 91-mph fastball past Ryan Howard for a strikeout, as well as keeping the likes of Shane Victorino and Jimmy Rollins off the bases. But Burnett isn't about to celebrate his revival just yet.
"If you gauge the second start of spring, they're just getting going, like we are," Burnett said. "That's why you don't get caught up too much in results. It's more how you feel. The fact that I'm able to repeat myself now and not really think about it is where I want to be."
Essentially, Burnett's mantra should be: "Don't think, just throw." The Yankees are making it easy for him as the right-hander attempts to battle back from a nightmarish season in which he went 10-15 with a 5.26 ERA in 33 starts.
Those numbers don't make sense to Yankees catcher Russell Martin, who was playing his home games a coast away from the Bronx last season with the Dodgers. He said that Burnett looks nothing like a pitcher who should have struggled that much.
"He had ace stuff today -- his fastball was effortless," Martin said. "It looks like he has even more if he wants it. All I'm seeing is what I'm seeing right now, and he looks pretty good."
From his vantage point in center field, Curtis Granderson thought he saw a pitcher who looked like the Burnett of early last season, before the right-hander endured a horrid June that ranks as the worst in franchise history (0-5, 11.35 ERA).recommend directory: KALINE #6 Detroit Tigers Mitchell and Ness White MLB Jersey.
In fact, when players filled out their ballots for the All-Star team early that month, Granderson had seen enough from Burnett to pencil in his name.
"He got one of my votes for the All-Star team; I thought his stuff was really good, especially when it was time to vote," Granderson said.
"Everyone talked about, 'If it wasn't for him, you guys would have gone on.' But I felt that the game he pitched against Texas [in the American League Championship Series] was a really good game. He gave us every chance to be in that ballgame to extend the series. I felt he had the same type of stuff today."
Burnett's mechanics could be helping. Pitching coach Larry Rothschild contributed adjustments that are limiting the so-called "swinging gate" effect of Burnett's lower body, which was forcing him to yank some pitches feet outside the strike zone during his tailspin in 2010.
Now that Burnett is beginning to feel like those changes are in the right place, he's able to go on autopilot, focusing on throwing strikes and letting others do the heavy lifting.
"Larry said that from the get-go: 'Let us think out there,'" Burnett said. "You've just got to go out and pitch. It's a lot of fun that way."
Of the nine outs Burnett recorded on Monday, five were on the ground and three were in the air, plus the strikeout of Howard.
Burnett said that his curveball still isn't where he wants it, though that's not surprising for him because he usually doesn't break it out full-force until his third spring start. Burnett is, however, pleased with his changeup.
"I kept the ball down, where I needed to be," Burnett said. "The changeup was good today. I'm going to need that, because I haven't thrown too many hooks coming into the spring. It's good to have that third pitch. I've still got some work to do." recommend directory: Denny McClain #3 Detroit Tigers Mitchell and Ness White MLB Jersey.
Coming into a spring when Burnett acknowledged that the cameras were going to be on him, welcoming that scrutiny, he has now tossed five scoreless innings against the Phillies and Astros. It is an encouraging sign for a rotation that needs him to return to form.
"It's my second spring start, but I don't want to go one inning and give up four homers and say, 'It was just my second start,'" Burnett said. "It all pans out. My mind is clearer, I'm not thinking about this and that. I'm just attacking."
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