AJ Burnett was bad in his last start for the New York Yankees and he would like to rebound as he makes his start tonight against the Arizona Diamondbacks. The Phillies rocked him in his last start and the Yankees were not able to have their offense save him.
Many say that it could be having Posada behind the plate all the time, but they seem to communicate well. It is AJ Burnett’s command with his best pitch that has taken a step down in recent starts. The Yankees pitching staff and Joe Girardi have taken close looks at Burnett and his form. If there is something wrong, they will be looking to correct it as soon as possible. It is June, not April. Mistakes at this point in the season have to be evaluated and corrected.
The Yankees may catch a break when they see Rodrigo Lopez on the mound for the Diamondbacks. He has not found his groove at all with the Diamondbacks, which has led to losses and no-decisions since early May. He was pounded by the Red Sox in his last outing.
Lopez’s last outing should not lead the Yankees to believe that they will be able to defeat the Diamondbacks’ starter. The last pitcher to be pounded by the Red Sox and face the Yankees in his next start was Jaime Moyer. He was able to confuse the Yankees with his slow pitches and odd combinations and lead the Phillies to a win.
Lopez like Moyer is aging, but many believe he is much more different. Lopez is showing signs of his age and has pitched so many more innings than he has in the last few years and it is only late June. The Yankees line-up is a potent offense and can rough up a pitcher if they can see he is fatigued.
