Detroit Vs. New York 5-5-11
A.J. Burnett just finished another solid April for the New York Yankees. Winning in May has been tougher for Burnett since joining the club in 2009.
Burnett gets the ball Thursday when the AL East-leading Yankees try to avoid a season-high third straight loss in the finale of a four-game series at the Detroit Tigers.
Despite allowing a season high-tying four runs and nine hits over six innings in his last outing, Burnett (4-1, 3.93 ERA) earned the victory in Saturday's 5-4 home win over Toronto.
"I will be better," Burnett told the Yankees' official website. "It's just a matter of working in between (starts) and staying humble and not getting caught up in it."
Burnett is 9-1 with a 3.90 ERA in April with New York. His ERA in 11 May starts has been similar (4.09) but his record is just 4-4 in those outings.
He'll try to move that record above .500 as he faces the Tigers (14-17) for the second time this season. In his season debut April 2, Burnett threw five innings of three-run ball in a 10-6 home win to improve to 4-1 in seven starts versus Detroit despite a 7.07 ERA. His teammates in New York - and Toronto before that - have supported him with an average of 8.6 runs in those outings.
The right-hander might need a better effort to beat the Tigers again, given the way New York is currently struggling at the plate. The normally potent Yankees (17-11) have totaled two runs while losing two straight in Detroit, including a 2-0 defeat Wednesday.
New York also had only a pair of runs the only other time it dropped two straight this season, losses to the Chicago White Sox on April 25 and 26.
"I've said all along that you need to pitch on a consistent basis, because bats will come and go," Girardi said.
That's certainly been the case for Alex Rodriguez, who is 7 for 43 with one homer in his last 13 games after hitting .405 with four home runs in his first 11.
The Tigers, meanwhile, appear to have snapped out of their offensive funk. They batted .233 and averaged 2.9 runs during a season-worst seven-game skid that ended with Tuesday's 4-2 victory.
With manager Jim Leyland shuffling the lineup following the return of Victor Martinez (straight right groin) from the disabled list, Detroit pounded out 10 hits Wednesday - one fewer than the previous night.
Magglio Ordonez's two-run homer - his first of 2011 - provided the offense Wednesday. Ordonez has four hits and three RBIs in the last two games, raising his average 37 points to .188 and quadrupling his season RBI total in the process.
Tigers first baseman Miguel Cabrera will try to extend his RBI and hitting streaks to seven. He is batting .500 with two homers and eight RBIs in six games against the Yankees this season.
That kind of production could help Rick Porcello (1-2, 4.25), who gets the ball to close the Tigers' brief four-game homestand. The 22-year-old right-hander, who has made his last three starts on the road, allowed two runs and struck out a season-high seven over seven innings of Saturday's 3-2, 12-inning loss to Cleveland.
Porcello threw seven innings of four-hit ball in his last home start against the Yankees, a 2-0 Tigers victory last May 12.
Derek Jeter, hitless in nine at-bats against Porcello, left after the eighth inning Wednesday with an injured right hip, but said after the game that "it's not a big deal." The Yankees captain needs three hits to pass Willie Keeler (2,955) for 30th all-time.
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