A long time ago — in a galaxy that now seems far, far away — Yankees pitcher A.J. Burnett appeared to be heading toward his first truly dominant season as a professional. On May 4 (was it really only eight weeks ago?) he tossed seven innings of five-hit, one-run ball against the Orioles, upping his record to 4-0 and lowering his ERA to 1.99.
That hot start now is a distant memory because Burnett truly has been a wreck ever since. He split his next four decisions in May and then imploded in June, going 0-5 with an 11.35 ERA — the highest ever by any Yankees pitcher with at least five starts in one month. The latest: a three-inning, six-run, six-walk meltdown Saturday against the Dodgers that ended with Burnett taking out his frustration on a bucket of bubble gum in the New York dugout.
Burnett hasn’t made it out of the fourth inning since June 10. Is there something physically wrong with him? Or is this simply another mental rut in a career full of inconsistency? His grandfather, who had been ill, passed away Friday, though Burnett said he didn’t let those thoughts interfere when he was on the mound the following afternoon. Still, the Yankees have to be worried — even if they aren’t acknowledging it publicly — that their topsy-turvy right-hander is working himself into a crater he can’t dig out of.
