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Yanks turn to Burnett in Game 4 showdown with Tigers

Oct 4, 2011 - 2:48 PM (Sports Network) - With their season on the line the New York Yankees turn to A.J. Burnett to try to stave off elimination this evening, as they play Game 4 of the American League Division Series against the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park.

Coming off the worst statistical season ever by a Yankees starter in 2010, Burnett continued to struggle in 2011 and went 11-11 with a 5.15 earned run average.

"You can't count me out," Burnett said. "I'm going to bring everything I've got and just let A.J. loose out there."

In the third season of his five-year, $82.5 million contract, Burnett has become despised amongst a fanbase that watched him pitch to a 7.50 ERA over his final eight outings.

"I've been proving people wrong my whole career, it seems like," Burnett said. "People are entitled to their opinion. Obviously, I give them reasons here and there to doubt. The bottom line is I have confidence in myself."

Burnett did win his final start of the season, though, as he beat the Boston Red Sox, allowing two runs and five hits in 7 2/3 innings. He's also 4-2 lifetime versus the Tigers, despite a 6.33 ERA in eight starts.

"Believe it or not, I have pretty good confidence every start," Burnett said. "I try to go out and believe I can throw a no-hitter. I'm not going to go out and try to prove anything. I'm going to go out and try to win a ballgame."

Burnett will have his work cut out for him after the Tigers grabbed a series lead in Monday's Game 3, as Delmon Young's tie-breaking solo home run and Justin Verlander's mighty eight-inning performance guided Detroit to a 5-4 win.

Young, who was acquired from Minnesota on August 15, homered to right field off Rafael Soriano with one out in the seventh, pushing the Tigers to the brink of their first trip to the ALCS since 2006.

Verlander (1-0), the expected choice for this year's AL Cy Young Award, piled up 11 strikeouts over his 120-pitch effort. The powerful right-hander, who allowed six hits and four runs with three walks, touched triple-digits on the radar gun into the eighth inning, helping the Tigers grab a 2-1 series lead.

Jose Valverde walked Jorge Posada and Brett Gardner in the ninth, but Derek Jeter swung through a 2-2 pitch to end the game.

CC Sabathia labored through 5 1/3 innings in the start against Verlander for the second time in four days, walking six batters and giving up seven hits and four runs.

"I actually thought he made a lot of good pitches tonight and I thought the zone was a small zone tonight," Yankees manager Joe Girardi said of the strike area that was called by home plate umpire Gerry Davis. "No disrespect to anyone, but that's what I thought. That's what I saw."

Getting the call for the Tigers will be righty Rick Porcello, who was 14-9 this season with a 4.75 ERA.

Although this will be Porcello's first postseason start, the 22-year-old hurler has pitched in a playoff atmosphere before back in 2009 when he tossed a one-game playoff against Minnesota to decided the AL Central.

"Obviously, I'm champing at the bit to get out there," Porcello said. "I'm definitely excited. I'm ready to go. I want to get out there and show everybody what I can do. Most importantly, show my team what I can do, and try and help us move on to the next round."

A native of New Jersey, Porcello grew up rooting for the Yankees.

"My mom loves Derek Jeter," Porcello said with a grin on Monday. "She might like him more than she likes me. I think they're pretty much committed to rooting for me and the Tigers right now. I don't think they watch many Yankees games anymore. But leading up to my professional career, they were Yankees fans."

He is 2-2 with a 5.56 ERA in four starts versus the Yankees.

The Tigers, who beat the Yankees in four games in the 2006 ALDS after losing Game 1, also took four of seven from the Yanks during this season after the two teams split the eight-game season series a year ago.