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Burnett strong as Blue Jays top Yankees

Apr 3, 2008 - 4:32 AM By Larry Fleisher PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

BRONX, New York (Ticker) -- On the second night of the season, the Toronto Blue Jays ensured a solid pitching performance would not go to waste.

A.J. Burnett pitched effectively into the seventh inning as the Blue Jays posted a 5-2 victory over the New York Yankees on Wednesday night.

Burnett (1-0) carried a shutout into the seventh but was taken out after Alex Rodriguez crushed a 3-2 pitch over the center-field wall. Before Rodriguez's 519th career home run, Burnett was rolling as he allowed just four singles while recording three strikeouts and one walk.

"That's kind of what I expect of (Burnett)," Toronto center fielder Vernon Wells said. "He's got that kind of stuff to do that every night he steps on the mound. It's not possible to do that every time, but he can be electric and he can do some things that not too many (other pitchers) can do."

Burnett turned in his second dominating outing in less than a year at Yankee Stadium, as he came through with an eight-inning, four-hit effort last September. He did so Wednesday on a chilly 44-degree night - a 20-degree dropoff from Tuesday's season opener.

"I tried not to tell myself it was cold," Burnett said. "I had a bad experience last year. They don't like to hit in this weather. We don't like to hit in this weather. I just tried to use my four-seamer on both sides of the plate and get ahead."

Toronto's first win of the season came after ace Roy Halladay turned in seven solid innings but was handed a 3-2 loss by allowing runs in the sixth and seventh on Tuesday.

Like Halladay, Burnett ran into trouble in the seventh as he walked Bobby Abreu and gave up Rodriguez's home run.

But Brian Tallet came on and tossed two perfect frames, striking out the first two batters he faced in the seventh and ending the eighth by fanning Johnny Damon on three pitches. Jeremy Accardo allowed two hits to start the ninth but struck out Rodriguez before retiring Jason Giambi and Robinson Cano to pick up his first save of the season.

"A.J. was definitely dominating today," Toronto manager John Gibbons said. "He had a good changeup and breaking ball going tonight. Then Tallet came in with those two big innings, and it was great getting the ball to Accardo in the ninth."

"He was throwing in the 90s and then he has curveball like that," Rodriguez said of Burnett. "These guys got good pitching, and then they got Accardo, who knows what he's doing out there."

Burnett's teammates struggled to generate much off Chien-Ming Wang on Tuesday but did not have that problem against Mike Mussina despite hitting into three double plays in the first five innings.

"It shows you what we got," Burnett said. "We have thunder all through the lineup."

Alex Rios and Wells provided much of the offense for Burnett.

Rios, who has hit safely in his last 22 games against the Yankees, had a pair of RBI singles. Wells posted three hits, including a two-run homer in the third.

Rios also chipped in defensively as he threw out Derek Jeter at second following a throwing error by Burnett in the fourth. Jeter also was caught stealing in the first and bounced into an inning-ending double play in the sixth.

Mussina (0-1) lasted 5 2/3 innings, allowing four runs - three earned - and eight hits.

"I was happy with what I saw," Yankees manager Joe Girardi said. "I'll take what I saw."

Mussina was two pitches away from preventing Toronto from increasing its lead in the third.

With two outs, he got ahead of Rios 0-2 before walking him. One pitch later, Wells launched a shot into the left field seats.

"I felt good throwing the baseball," Mussina said. "I just made some mistakes and they took advantage of it."