Burnett’s dominance sends Rays message
ST PETERSBURG – There is a term that I learned in baseball that is called a “no chance at bat”.
This is when a hitter steps to the plate when a pitcher has his best stuff on that night and he is better served making other plans for the night.
Last night, the Tampa Bay Rays should have just taken the evening off. No one would have blamed them.
AJ Burnett took the mound for the Yankees on Tuesday night needed to help the team erase the stench of a 15-5 pounding the night before. He wasn’t necessarily brought to the team as a “stopper” of sorts, it just so happened that way.
Over the course of eight innings, he fired darts that Rays hitters either stared at or swung and missed. When they were looking for the express, he would then tantalize them with a set of off-speed pitches, his power slider and a curve he could throw at two different speeds whether it was with power, or bouncing it into the ground. One by one, each hitter came up and several pitches later, they made right back to the dugout.
No chance.
He is such an interesting pitcher to watch. When you see him it appears as if he not even throwing 100 percent. It is an effortless motion that sneaks up on you up until you are frozen, unable to pull the trigger on his 95 MPH heat.
If you want to gear up for that, he will drop in his 12 to 6 curve or bounce a hard slider at the plate to make you look foolish. There is never such a thing as a “comfortable” at bat against him.
In the fourth inning, Rays starter Matt Garza buzzed Nick Swisher with a pitch perhaps a motivation for his stint as a reliever in the eighth inning the night before. This was not going to stand with Burnett on the other side. When Evan Longoria stepped into the box, Burnett responded with a brush back pitch of his own sending Longoria into a one-on-one meeting with the dirt.
Not wanting anymore of this battle, the star third baseman looked at called strike three without even attempting to make contact and returned right to the dugout.
No chance.
Suddenly you realized that he pitching a no-hitter after six innings and you couldn't help but notice his dominance now. He was everything the Yankees were hoping for when they signed him as a free agent. This was the same pitcher the Yankee hitter had seen and couldn’t handle. Now he was on their side.
Things got a touch hairy in the seventh inning when three successive singles and a sacrifice fly eliminated the no-hitter, shutout and the team’s 2-0 lead. In the past, this situation would have rattled his confidence. Instead, a bolder, mature and more assertive pitcher stepped forward. He escaped further trouble and kept the game tied going into the eighth where the Yankees would regain the lead.
Joe Girardi could have simply ended Burnett’s night after the last inning, but showed confidence in him to go back out there and get three more outs. He would do just that with no drama. The Rays went down 1-2-3 as they had done all night with the exception of the previous inning.
No chance.
It was a job well done. The final line of eight innings, three hits, two runs, one walk and nine strikeouts was the stuff of spectacular. He also sent a message to the American League Champions that they will not be intimidated and that retribution will be had if one of their own find themselves on the ground.
(Message to Josh Beckett: Don’t even think about it.)
His stuff has never been question, it has always been a matter of whether or not he could stay completely healthy for a full season and make 30 to 34 starts.
If he can, he gives the Yankees an incredible one-two of him and Sabathia. Add Chamberlain to that mix if he gets going and you have three pitchers in your rotation that on any given night can take the ball and dominate a lineup. It is an incredible advantage to have over an opponent.
The organization has invested $82.5 million that Burnett’s powerful right arm can be the intimidator he was on Tuesday night for the rest of this season. If he can, it will simply add to the teams potent rotation.
So far, so good.
ST PETERSBURG – There is a term that I learned in baseball that is called a “no chance at bat”.
This is when a hitter steps to the plate when a pitcher has his best stuff on that night and he is better served making other plans for the night.
Last night, the Tampa Bay Rays should have just taken the evening off. No one would have blamed them.
AJ Burnett took the mound for the Yankees on Tuesday night needed to help the team erase the stench of a 15-5 pounding the night before. He wasn’t necessarily brought to the team as a “stopper” of sorts, it just so happened that way.
Over the course of eight innings, he fired darts that Rays hitters either stared at or swung and missed. When they were looking for the express, he would then tantalize them with a set of off-speed pitches, his power slider and a curve he could throw at two different speeds whether it was with power, or bouncing it into the ground. One by one, each hitter came up and several pitches later, they made right back to the dugout.
No chance.
He is such an interesting pitcher to watch. When you see him it appears as if he not even throwing 100 percent. It is an effortless motion that sneaks up on you up until you are frozen, unable to pull the trigger on his 95 MPH heat.
If you want to gear up for that, he will drop in his 12 to 6 curve or bounce a hard slider at the plate to make you look foolish. There is never such a thing as a “comfortable” at bat against him.
In the fourth inning, Rays starter Matt Garza buzzed Nick Swisher with a pitch perhaps a motivation for his stint as a reliever in the eighth inning the night before. This was not going to stand with Burnett on the other side. When Evan Longoria stepped into the box, Burnett responded with a brush back pitch of his own sending Longoria into a one-on-one meeting with the dirt.
Not wanting anymore of this battle, the star third baseman looked at called strike three without even attempting to make contact and returned right to the dugout.
No chance.
Suddenly you realized that he pitching a no-hitter after six innings and you couldn't help but notice his dominance now. He was everything the Yankees were hoping for when they signed him as a free agent. This was the same pitcher the Yankee hitter had seen and couldn’t handle. Now he was on their side.
Things got a touch hairy in the seventh inning when three successive singles and a sacrifice fly eliminated the no-hitter, shutout and the team’s 2-0 lead. In the past, this situation would have rattled his confidence. Instead, a bolder, mature and more assertive pitcher stepped forward. He escaped further trouble and kept the game tied going into the eighth where the Yankees would regain the lead.
Joe Girardi could have simply ended Burnett’s night after the last inning, but showed confidence in him to go back out there and get three more outs. He would do just that with no drama. The Rays went down 1-2-3 as they had done all night with the exception of the previous inning.
No chance.
It was a job well done. The final line of eight innings, three hits, two runs, one walk and nine strikeouts was the stuff of spectacular. He also sent a message to the American League Champions that they will not be intimidated and that retribution will be had if one of their own find themselves on the ground.
(Message to Josh Beckett: Don’t even think about it.)
His stuff has never been question, it has always been a matter of whether or not he could stay completely healthy for a full season and make 30 to 34 starts.
If he can, he gives the Yankees an incredible one-two of him and Sabathia. Add Chamberlain to that mix if he gets going and you have three pitchers in your rotation that on any given night can take the ball and dominate a lineup. It is an incredible advantage to have over an opponent.
The organization has invested $82.5 million that Burnett’s powerful right arm can be the intimidator he was on Tuesday night for the rest of this season. If he can, it will simply add to the teams potent rotation.
So far, so good.
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