The Unofficial 2011 New York Yankees Thread
Yeah, yeah. I know that this is a Chicago message board, and I know that I am going to catch hell from all the Cubs and White Sox fans on it. However, there are more Yankees fans around the world rooting for the Bronx Bombers than there are fans for all the other major sports franchises combined.
Samurai Mike, where are you? I need at least one other loyal fan to make this thread worthwhile.
Game 2: Sat, 4/2/11: Yankees 10, Tigers 6
Saturday, April 2, 2011
Tigers 6, Yankees 10
http://newyork.yankees.mlb.com/image.../80x80/det.png (0-2)
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
R H E DET
0 0 1 0 2 0 0 2 1
6 10 2 NYY
3 3 0 0 3 1 0 0 x
10 12 1 W:Burnett (1-0)L:Penny (0-1)SV:Rivera (2)
http://newyork.yankees.mlb.com/image.../80x80/nyy.png (2-0)
Yanks' bats relentless in rout of Tigers
Teixeira hits second three-run homer; Burnett works five innings
By Bryan Hoch / MLB.com | 4/2/2011 10:00 PM ET
http://mediadownloads.mlb.com/mlbam/...7885_th_10.jpg DET@NYY: Teixeira's three-run blast breaks it open
NEW YORK -- The various illnesses that spoiled A.J. Burnett's week guaranteed that he wouldn't be able to hear any crowd reaction by the time he walked off the mound on Saturday afternoon.
That was too bad, because Burnett would have received an even bigger boost to his day. Fighting sinus and throat infections, Burnett battled through five good innings as the Yankees defeated the Tigers, 10-6, at Yankee Stadium.
"That last inning, I couldn't even swallow," Burnett said. "The only time I heard them was when I was walking from the bullpen. I thought, 'It must be pretty loud if I can hear them right now.' From the get-go, nothing but positives."
Limiting Detroit to three runs on five hits, Burnett had plenty of support. Mark Teixeira hit a three-run homer for the second straight game, Russell Martin also connected for a three-run shot and Alex Rodriguez tacked on his 614th career blast.
"So far, so good," Teixeira said. "You've got to stay humble. This game will humble you quick. The first two games, we're scoring a lot of runs and I'm a big part of it, so I feel great."
With the outcome seemingly in hand, Yankees manager Joe Girardi began to play his bench and asked his bullpen to soak up the remaining four innings. Boone Logan wobbled in the ninth, allowing Mariano Rivera to pick up an easy save, the 561st of his career.
The day was a step in the right direction for Burnett, who is looking to rebound after going 10-15 with a 5.26 ERA in 33 starts last season for New York, in what he agrees was the worst year of his career.
Pitching in short sleeves despite his illnesses, Burnett started strong but began to wear down later in his 86-pitch outing. Austin Jackson clubbed a solo homer in the third and the Tigers added two runs in the fifth before Burnett squelched the rally.
"I thought he threw the ball well," Girardi said of Burnett. "Stamina was somewhat of an issue. His ears have been clogged and he's had a hard time breathing, and that's why I only let him go five innings today. I wanted him to get through that fifth inning because I thought he threw the ball well."
In that fifth, the Tigers jumped on Burnett for three hits to open the inning, with Alex Avila shooting an RBI single past shortstop Derek Jeter to bring home the second Detroit run.
After a visit from pitching coach Larry Rothschild, Burnett trusted his changeup and induced a run-scoring groundout from Will Rhymes, then whiffed Magglio Ordonez on a curveball in the dirt to end the inning.
"I felt like I could do more, but I couldn't," Burnett said. "It was a positive step. I was able to use my second and third pitches the way I wanted to."
Martin thought the at-bat against Rhymes provided "good information" both for Burnett and for himself, as the new battery continues to build a relationship and rhythm.
"I think he underestimates his changeup, but the more he throws it, the more he's going to realize that it's a really good pitch for him," Martin said.
The Yankees battered Penny for eight runs in 4 1/3 innings, putting runs in Burnett's back pocket early.
In the first, Rodriguez stroked an RBI double, Robinson Cano added a run-scoring single and Nick Swisher connected for a sacrifice fly.
Having also gone deep in Thursday's season opener, Teixeira slugged his second three-run homer of the season to extend New York's lead to 6-0 in the second inning.
After posting only two home runs and nine RBIs in all of last April, a month in which he batted a miserable .136, Teixeira has already notched a pair of homers and driven in six runs, a credit to altering his winter workouts by spending more time hitting.
"It makes me realize that I made the right decision," Teixeira said. "It's always a little bit tough to do something you haven't done your entire career and change the way you work out, the way you swing, the way you prepare. Hopefully, it's going to work out like this the rest of the year."
Martin completed the damage against Penny in the fifth with his homer off Brad Thomas, who allowed two inherited runners to score. Penny walked four and struck out three, permitting seven hits in an 89-pitch outing.
"That's a real tricky team to pitch against, because if you give them too much credit, they get counts in their favor and they hurt you," Tigers manager Jim Leyland said. "Certainly, you have to pitch them with respect, getting ahead."
Jeter picked up two hits as he resumed his chase for 3,000. The captain needs 72 more to become the 28th member -- and first Yankee -- of that exclusive club.
"The good news for us is that one through nine, everyone's swinging the bats well," Rodriguez said. "Hitting is contagious. It definitely helps everyone else when everyone is swinging the bat well."
Bryan Hoch is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.