Burnett Leads Yanks to First Series WIn in Anaheim Since '04

(REUTERS/Danny Moloshok)

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9		R	H	E
NYY	0	0	0	3	0	0	0	0	0		3	7	0
LAA	0	0	0	0	1	1	0	0	0		2	10	1

WP - A.J. Burnett (12-9)
LP - Scott Kazmir (9-9)
SV - Mariano Rivera (42)
See the lineup Joe Girardi threw out there today I didn't think the Yankees had a chance unless A.J. Burnett pitched very well, and that's exactly what he did. He didn't give the Yankees the length they probably needed, but while he was in there he was great. In 5.2 innings he allowed two runs on seven hits, walked three, and struck out eleven. His fastball was better than it has been in a long time and his breaking stuff was also nasty. He threw 101 pitches, 65 of them for strikes. He allowed a few too many baserunners, but was able to get a few big strikeouts to get out of some jams. It was a huge start for Burnett, who is going to be a major part of this team's postseason chances, and if he throws the ball like he did today they should be fine.

The Yanks spotted him a 3-0 lead with three runs in the top of the fouth. Three more runs than I thought this lineup would score. Mark Teixeira got things started with a one out double and Hideki Matsui following with a walk to put runners on first and second. Shelley Duncan then singled off Chone Figgins glove, but Teixeira got thrown out trying to score thanks to a perfect throw by Juan Rivera for the second out. But Robinson Cano came through with a big two out two-run single, and that was followed by another big two-out RBI when Melky Cabrera doubled.

What was even more surprising than the three runs this lineup scored was that the four relievers Girardi was forced to use actually held the lead. (Just to be clear, I'm not complaining about it, Girardi had no choice because of the work Alfredo Aceves and Phil Hughes put in yesterday.) Damaso Marte got Figgins, who was 3-for-3 against Burnett, with two on and two out to end the threat in the sixth. He stayed in for the seventh and allowed a leadoff Erick Aybar, but then got Bobby Abreu to bang into a double play.

Jonathan Albaladejo was next out of the pen, but he would only face on batter, Torii Hunter, who doubled. Phil Coke then came in, bad stomach and all, and struck out Kendy Morales on nasty breaking ball to end the inning.

Then, in what was a surprise to all, Girardi called on Ian Kennedy to make his first appearence of the 2009 season. It wasn't easy as he hit a batter and walked two more, but he battled his way through the jam. Great to see Kennedy back on the mound after having anurysim surgery only a few months ago.

Mariano Rivera came in for the ninth and allowed a leadoff single to Abreu, but that would be it as he recorded his 42nd save of the season.

It was the first series win in Anaheim for the Yankees since May of 2004. They also were able to come away with a season split with the Angels, the first time the Angels have no won the season series since 2003.

These last two games were huge wins for the Yanks and probably gave them all the breathing room they're gonna need to lock up the division and best record. Their magic number to clinch the division is down to five, and could drop to four if KC can beat Boston tonight in KC.

	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	SO	LOB	AVG
Jeter, SS	4	0	1	0	1	1	1	.329
Hairston, J, 3B	2	0	0	0	1	1	1	.251
a-Pena, R, PH-3B	1	0	0	0	0	1	1	.282
c-Rodriguez, A, PH-3B	1	0	0	0	0	0	1	.283
Teixeira, 1B	3	0	1	0	1	1	2	.292
Matsui, H, DH	3	1	0	0	1	0	3	.278
Duncan, S, RF	3	1	1	0	0	1	0	.200
b-Hinske, PH	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	.242
1-Guzman, F, PR-LF	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	.000
Cano, 2B	4	1	1	2	0	1	1	.320
Cabrera, Me, LF-RF	4	0	2	1	0	0	1	.273
Gardner, CF	4	0	1	0	0	1	2	.279
Molina, J, C	4	0	0	0	0	0	1	.221
Totals	33	3	7	3	5	7	14
a-Struck out for Hairston, J in the 7th. b-Walked for Duncan, S in the 8th. c-Grounded out for Pena, R in the 9th. 1-Ran for Hinske in the 8th.
BATTING 2B: Teixeira (43, Kazmir), Cabrera, Me (28, Kazmir). TB: Jeter; Teixeira 2; Duncan, S; Cano; Cabrera, Me 3; Gardner. RBI: Cano 2 (79), Cabrera, Me (65). 2-out RBI: Cano 2; Cabrera, Me. Runners left in scoring position, 2 out: Gardner; Matsui, H; Cabrera, Me. GIDP: Jeter. Team RISP: 3-for-8. Team LOB: 8. BASERUNNING SB: Jeter (28, 2nd base off Kazmir/Napoli), Guzman, F (1, 2nd base off Bulger/Napoli). FIELDING DP: (Cano-Jeter-Teixeira).

	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO	HR	ERA
Burnett, A (W, 12-9)	5.2	7	2	2	3	11	0	4.19
Marte, D (H, 4)	1.0	1	0	0	0	0	0	10.03
Albaladejo	0.0	1	0	0	0	0	0	4.73
Coke (H, 20)	0.1	0	0	0	0	1	0	4.79
Kennedy, I (H, 1)	1.0	0	0	0	2	1	0	0.00
Rivera, Ma (S, 42)	1.0	1	0	0	0	2	0	1.88

Pitches-strikes: Burnett, A 101-65, Marte, D 13-9, Albaladejo 3-2, Coke 5-3, Kennedy, I 28-15, Rivera, Ma 15-12.

ANGELS STATS

PLAYER OF THE GAME: A.J. Burnett (W, 5.2 IP, 7 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 11 K)

HONORABLE MENTION: Melky Cabrera (2-for-4, 2B, RBI)

Tomorrow's Game

Off day