The Yankees went with C.C. Sabathia in Game 4 on only three days of rest and will do the same with Burnett in Game 5. In Game 2, Burnett pitched seven innings and allowed only four hits and one earned run while striking out nine batters.

While most major league pitchers struggle on only three days of rest, Burnett actually has a good history in this situation. In four starts on short rest, he has a 2.33 ERA and earned a win in each of the four contests.

The Phillies will counter with Cliff Lee. Lee, who won Game 1, has been amazing in the playoffs so far. He has a 0.54 ERA in four starts in the playoffs. In Game 1, he went nine innings and didn’t allow an earned run.

AJ Burnett will start Game 5 (Image: Zuma Press)

Post from: EveryJoe

A.J. Burnett to Start in Game 5

CC Sabathia, New York Yankees (Image: Newscom)

Sabathia split the 2008 season between the Cleveland Indians and the Milwaukee Brewers. After becoming a free agent during the offseason, the hefty left-hander had many suitors. When it came time to make a decision, Sabathia decided to sign with the Yankees for $161 million over seven years.

Although Sabathia got off to an extremely slow start last year with the Indians, he shined after being traded to the Brewers. In his 17 starts with Milwaukee, the California native was 11-2 with a 1.65 ERA. For his career, Sabathia has a 117-73 record and an ERA of 3.66.

The Yankees play their first nine games of the 2009 Major League Baseball season on the road before breaking in their new $1.6 billion stadium on April 16th against the Cleveland Indians.

Post from: EveryJoe

CC Sabathia Starting Openers for Yankees

Well, we’re about to make a big fuss about the Red Sox-Yankees game we and some pals took in last night—the final game of the regular season and the final game of 2008 for a certain pinstriped New York team.

Here’s the story in pictures snapped by Johnny Pap (for Paparazzi, remember?):

“Hmm,” A-Rod thinks, “The season’s over and my wife gave me the boot. Maybe that leopard expert/former stripper is free tonight.” 

Derek Jeter drops his jaw in disbelief: He gave up a date with Minka Kelly for this?

Easily the best sign we saw at Fenway Park.

Easily the second best sign we saw at Fenway Park.

Speaking of RIP, the same might soon be said of Joe Girardi’s job if Hank Steinbrenner is as unreasonable as his father was toward Joe Torre.

All’s well that end’s well.

Post from: EveryJoe

PHOTOS: Gloating Over the Yankees Season-Ending Loss at Fenway Park

2. We made it on television . . . every time they used the right infield camera. Really! Yours truly is the blondie with the red jacket looking at, you know, not the game. (The scoreboard, presumably):

And here’s The Bee (short, spiked silver hair) chatting up the guy on his right:

Yeah, we know that has nothing to do with clinching a playoff spot. But wouldn’t you be excited if you were on television chewing gum and looking fatter than you really are? We thought so! (Kudos and invocations to the other half of Team Revision for the screen capture and a tape of the game!).

3. We passed on Gary Sheffield’s message to the Indians. Just kidding. Sorry, this had nothing to do with the wild card berth, either. However, we were close enough to Grady Sizemore to whisper in it in his ear. Well, more like shout it over four rows of people. But still.

4. The warm and fuzzy feeling that came over us, even though the air temp was a nippy 40-something degrees, when we realized that New York Yankees manager Joe Girardi is probably out of a job . . . was a Schadenfreude moment if there ever was one!

5. Alcohol. It started pre-game with reader Prospero’s absinthe at the Eastern Standard, which ensured that we’d see a good game no matter what. (Ah, we just had a couple of sips just to say we did. You could get trashed on that stuff in a hurry, though). It ended with a post-game martini at Sonsie. The champagne celebration after the win? Absolutely priceless. We avoided getting sprayed (just barely), but so much bubbly was flowing and/or being doused that we left inhaling that happy, happy scent.

Dustin Pedroia et al. in the midst of champagne antics; the MVP hopeful emptied that bottle over some lucky gal’s moments after this picture was taken. Glad it wasn’t us!

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5 Best Things About Being at the Game When the Red Sox Clinched a Playoff Berth

Hank Steinbrenner lashed out at the team, A-Rod’s soap opera marriage is back in the headlines with a Madonna twist, and Jon Lester threw a shutout last night in the 7-0 Boston Red Sox win over the Yanks last night.

Girardi had a closed-door session with his team after the loss, and judging by the beginning of this clip (3m, 49s), he wasn’t in the mood to talk about it. The rest of the clip is painful if you’re a Yankees fan but nothing short of a Fourth of July gift for Red Sox fans.

*fingers crossed that the Sox wins when we head into enemy territory attend the game at Yankee Stadium on Sunday*

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VIDEO: Joe Girardi Says MYOB (Kind of) to Reporter After Loss to Sox

The bad news is, the Yankees took this game against the Baltimore Orioles (thanks to Robinson Cano) in the bottom of the ninth and have won two in a row.

The good news is, the Boston Red Sox are on a 7-game win streak, the Yanks are 7.5 games behind and in last place, and GM Joe Girardi got ejected from yesterday’s game against Baltimore (46s):

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VIDEO: Joe Girardi Loses His Cool

Joe Girardi, manager of the New York Yankees, has been fined as a result of the brawl between his team and the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. NYY players Melky Cabrera were fined and suspended for a trio of games; Rays right fielder and “You Know” master Jonny Gomes has been fined and be on the sidelines for two games.

We’re happy, but not as happy as we would have been if had been a Yankees-Red Sox fight that bagged the boys in pinstripes.

Post from: EveryJoe

Yanks Fined, Sox Fans Giggle With Glee