YONG KIM / Staff Photographer
A.J. Burnett pitches in the first inning. He lasted seven innings before yielding to Mariano Rivera.
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Burnett's outing inspired by Cliff Lee
NEW YORK - As he thought about his crucial start last night for the New York Yankees, A.J. Burnett got a tip from Cliff Lee as he walked through the back of his team's clubhouse after Game 1.
"Actually, I sat and watched his [postgame] interview on the field," Burnett said last night after throwing seven solid innings in the Yankees' 3-1 victory over the Phillies at Yankee Stadium that squared the World Series at one game apiece.
"He talked about confidence and belief in his stuff," Burnett said. "I thought about the same thing today, going out there with confidence. As the game rolled by, I was in good rhythm. I managed to stay in that rhythm and get strike one."
After giving up four runs in the first inning of his most recent start, Game 5 of the American League Championship Series against the Los Angeles Angels, Burnett thought it necessary to get through the first inning without a problem, and he did.
"It was important," he said. "I wanted to come out and attack and feed off this crowd, feed off the energy, and not just be calm. I think I've done a good job of being calm in this situation. But I wanted to come out with some fire tonight. I wanted to set the tone and be very aggressive."
He did that. He gave up a second-inning run on Matt Stairs' RBI single, then walked two men in the third before stranding both. But after the third, Burnett was strong.
The 32-year-old righthander allowed only two hits in his final four innings. In the fifth, Carlos Ruiz doubled, but Burnett struck out Jimmy Rollins and got Shane Victorino on a pop-up to third.
"He was outstanding," Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter said. "He was in control of his curveball from the get-go. They're a good team, they can really hit, and he shut them down."
The Yankees showed why they spent more than $243 million in the off-season to put CC Sabathia and Burnett at the top of their rotation. The two started back-to-back games 19 times during the season, and only once did those consecutive starts result in a pair of losses.
"We got them because we wanted to build our rotation, and that's what we did," Yankees manager Joe Girardi said.
Burnett, who signed a five-year, $82.5 million free-agent contract with the Yankees, said he understood the importance of getting the Yankees even after Sabathia pitched well but lost in Game 1.
"It wasn't pressure," he said. "I knew it was a big game, that's no lie. It was the biggest game I ever pitched for this team. But you can't let that affect you. I knew I had a task ahead of me with Pedro [Martinez] on the mound and I wanted to pitch the best I could."
In his seven innings, Burnett struck out nine, including Ryan Howard three times. His curveball was extremely effective.
"It was on," he said. "When I throw that for strikes, it's a big difference. Early, they were looking for it, but once I started getting it in the zone, it opened everything up. That was big for me."
Through three postseason games going into last night, Burnett had not posted a decision, and compiled an ERA of 4.42. In Game 5 of the ALCS, he allowed eight hits and six earned runs in six innings, and the Yanks lost.
But Burnett seems to find his game at Yankee Stadium. He won five of seven decisions in his last 13 starts here, with a 2.85 ERA.
He said he wanted to pitch well and he did. But he said he had no plan to match what Lee did in Game 1.
"Cliffy was a man against boys last night," he said.
Contact staff writer Joe Juliano at 215-854-4494 or jjuliano@phillynews.com.
