Burnett accepts blame after getting pounded in Game 5
Photo credit: Getty Images | A.J. Burnett hangs his head dejected in the dugout after he was taken out of the game in the bottom of the third inning against the Philadelphia Phillies in Game 5 of the World Series at Citizens Bank Park. (November 2, 2009)
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PHILADELPHIA - PHILADELPHIA - Calling his performance "embarrassing," A.J. Burnett described his emotions after the Yankees' 8-6 loss last night as "the worst feeling in the world."
Burnett took the mound with a chance to pitch the Yankees to their 27th world championship, but the righthander wound up giving the Phillies a whole lot of life in this World Series.
Burnett pitched to four batters in the third inning, never got an out and wound up being charged with six runs. He gave up four hits, including a three-run home run by Chase Utley in the first inning, walked four and hit a batter. "I had the chance to do something special," he said, "and I failed."
Speaking in short sentences in a soft voice, Burnett clearly was struggling to come to grips with how badly he performed on the big stage. He said his consistent inability to locate his pitches had nothing to do with pitching on three days' rest, saying he simply failed to execute what he knew he had to do.
"I've got to take it hard," Burnett said. "I feel like I let 25 guys down. I let a city down."
But what hurt even more than walking off the mound with his team in such a huge hole was watching his teammates fight back, only to fall just two runs short. "It was nobody's fault but mine," Burnett said.
To make up for his performance, he said he "would love nothing more" than to pitch in relief in Game 6 Wednesday night. Or in Game 7 on Thursday, if the Series makes it that far.
Burnett threw only 53 pitches in Game 5, making him a legitimate option out of the bullpen Wednesday night to back up Andy Pettitte, who also will be pitching on three days' rest.
Burnett had outpitched Pedro Martinez in Game 2, allowing one run, four hits and two walks in seven innings and striking out nine as the Yankees tied the Series at 1-1.
In the wake of the Yankees' uplifting victory in Game 4 Sunday night, Burnett met with reporters and did not hide the fact that he was very excited about the prospect of pitching in a World Series-clinching victory. He even said he felt so excited, he didn't know how well he would sleep.
Last night, standing in front of his locker about 15 minutes after Mark Teixeira struck out to end the Yankees' 8-6 loss, Burnett said he tried not to think about the Game 5 start as he went to sleep after Game 4 early Monday morning.
"But it was hard not to," he said. And that start wound up being a nightmare.
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