Davidoff: Here's what we learned Saturday (and Sunday)

BOSTON

Twenty innings. Twenty-two pitchers. Thirty-one walks. Forty-nine strikeouts.

Eight hours and 18 minutes of baseball here at Fenway Park. We started Saturday and finished Sunday. We began with the Yankees controlling their own destiny and concluded with the Yankees turning into Kansas City Royals fans.

So much to discuss, so let's ignore the smooth transitions and get down to business. What did we learn from the Yankees' 6-5 Game 1 victory over the Red Sox and 7-6 Game 2 loss?

1. With the division title on the line in Game 2, Joe Girardi stuck to his pledge not to burn out any relievers. In Game 1, with Andy Pettitte lasting only four-plus innings, Girardi used six more pitchers who all will be on the playoff roster - David Robertson, Boone Logan, Joba Chamberlain, Kerry Wood, Phil Hughes and Mariano Rivera.

"You've got to win the first game," an exhausted Girardi correctly said early Sunday morning. "You don't know what's going to arise in the second game."

So when the Yankees needed to get nine outs to secure A.J. Burnett's Game 2 victory, Girardi turned to Sergio Mitre, Royce Ring and Ivan Nova. Ring and Nova teamed to allow three runs. And that's why the Yankees' only chance of winning the division now is to beat the Red Sox on Sunday - with Dustin Moseley going against John Lackey - and hope the Rays lose in Kansas City.

"You physically can't do that," Girardi said when asked if he considered bringing back any Game 1 relievers for Game 2. "And that's the frustrating part of getting rained out [Friday]."

It's the right call. With the notable exception of Wood, who has earned the benefit of the doubt, all of the Yankees' Game 1 relievers looked good.

2. Burnett is only slightly less of a train wreck than he was when he woke up Saturday. The embattled starter allowed four runs (two earned) and six hits in six innings, walking two and striking out five against a Boston junior varsity lineup. He threw a wild pitch and made a throwing error when Daniel Nava broke for home while Burnett argued a close call at first base with umpire Brian Runge, forgetting that the play was still alive.

"He didn't throw the ball bad" was the best Girardi could offer in support of Burnett. The Yankees have little choice but to go with a three-man rotation of CC Sabathia, Andy Pettitte and Hughes in the Division Series.

3. If they make the AL Championship Series . . . they might have to turn to Burnett as a fourth starter. What are their other choices? Nova, who took the Game 2 loss, pitched as though he was extremely jittery. We know Javier Vazquez is done.

Dustin Moseley will start Sunday, in their last gasp, and that shows you how poorly things have worked out for the Yankees' pitching in the second half of the season. Maybe Moseley can make his case to supplant Burnett in the second round. At this point, it wouldn't take much.

4. Pettitte looked all right in his Game 1 start. He showed off some good stuff, as evidenced by his eight strikeouts, but he struggled to command his fastball and didn't last very long against a subpar Boston lineup.

"I wish I had thrown seven innings," Pettitte said. " . . . I'm ready to go. I'm looking forward to the playoffs now."

5. Francisco Cervelli caught Burnett again. Jorge Posada hasn't caught Burnett since Aug. 2. So if Burnett does get a postseason start out of Yankees desperation, you can count on Cervelli starting behind the plate. Once again, in this double feature, neither Posada nor Cervelli distinguished himself at the plate.

6. The lineup looks as though it's ready to go, for the most part. Brett Gardner, Alex Rodriguez and Robinson Cano all had good days.

7. The Yankees now are more likely to face the Twins, whose lineup is more lefthanded, and Girardi has contemplated adding Ring to the roster as a second lefty reliever behind Logan. In Game 2, however, Ring looked nervous as he walked pinch hitter Jed Lowrie to start the eighth and served up a single to Ryan Kalish.

8. Girardi still never presents a picture of calm. He looked visibly upset after Game 2. But that's who he is, we know at this point. And he does run a good bullpen.