A.J. Burnett's days in Toronto may be numbered, but the Toronto Blue Jays right-hander is doing his best to keep his team on the fringes of the playoff race.
A man long on talent but short on results for most of his career, Burnett (16-9) continued his breakthrough season on Tuesday, leading the Blue Jays (65-60) to a dramatic 2-1 win over the New York Yankees (66-59) before a crowd of 37,221 at the Rogers Centre.
With a season-high 13 strikeouts in eight innings, Burnett helped the Jays move within one game of the Yankees for third spot in the American League wild card race by recording his sixth win in a row.
But he owes an assist to Yankees centre-fielder Johnny Damon, who couldn't make a leaping catch on Marco Scutaro on a make-able play in the eighth. Ruled a double when it bounced off Damon's glove in deep centre, Scutaro's hit scored Joe Inglett to give the Jays a 2-1 lead.
Making his first start since Jays manager Cito Gaston speculated Burnett would opt out of the final two years of his US$55-million, five-year contract at the end of the season in search of greater riches this past weekend, but the hard-throwing righty continued his career-best season with a masterful performance. Burnett gave up just five hits and one run.
It looked like he was going to suffer an unfortunate loss until red-hot Adam Lind tied it in the seventh with a solo home run to right off Yankees starter Darrell Rasner. It was Lind's third home run in as many games.
With two more games against the Yankees followed by three with the wild-card leading Boston Red Sox, who entered the evening seven games ahead of Toronto, the Jays need a big week to stay relevant in the AL.
The Jays have to go 26-11 the rest of the way just to finish with 90 wins. At least 94 wins have been needed to claim the wild card in the AL the past seven years.
But the Jays are coming off an impressive 5-1 road swing, including a two-game mini sweep of the Red Sox.
"This week can make or break you and if it makes you, you've still got another week of make or break you," Jays manager Cito Gaston said before the game. "It doesn't get any easier. You've got to play well. You can't afford to get swept. You've got to win some series here. Otherwise, you can start thinking about next year."
Yankees reliever Jose Veras (3-2), who replaced Rasner with two out in the seventh, took the loss after giving up the run in the eighth. Rasner allowed just three hits.
Blue Jays closer B.J. Ryan picked up his 24th save after receiving some nice work from his defence. On an Alex Rodriguez blooper over first, Jays first baseman Lyle Overbay rushed back to field the ball and fired to second to nail the unpopular Yankees third baseman.
Lind's home run, his third in as many games, tied the game at 1-1 with one out in the seventh inning. The Yankees scored their lone run in the first on a Bobby Abreu double to the left-field corner, scoring Damon from first after a leadoff walk.
After that, they could do next to nothing against Burnett, who got the crowd buzzing by striking out Rodriguez three times.
Notes: Blue Jays reliever Scott Downs was available to pitch on Tuesday for the first time since he sprained his right ankle last Wednesday in Detroit against the Tigers. Downs did some lateral work before the game to test out the ankle. ... The Blue Jays adjusted their rotation after a rainout Friday in Boston to maximize the use of top starters Roy Halladay, Burnett and Shaun Marcum. Jesse Litsch, who threw a bullpen session in Sunday, will be skipped in the rotation this time around, giving Halladay, Burnett and Marcum four of the starts on the homestand. ... Blue Jays 3B Scott Rolen (shoulder) remains at the team's rehab complex in Dunedin, Fla., and there is no timetable for his return. Gaston said RHP Jeremy Accardo (right forearm) likely won't return until Sept. 1 at earliest. ... Yankees OF Hideki Matsui returned to the lineup as a DH on Tuesday after missing the past 49 games with a left knee injury. ... Yankes RHP Joba Chamberlain (right shoulder) will throw a bullpen session on Saturday.
