The right medicine

A.J. Burnett was just what the Yankees needed tonight, and I'll credit the uneven No. 2 pitcher for New York for this Game 2 win.

After sporadic pitching performances throughout the postseason (not just winning some games and losing some, or letting a lot of runs in during one and not the other, but throwing more pitches in the dirt in some than some pitchers throw all year), Burnett was excellent tonight.

He pitched hard and kept his head in the game even after the Phillies went ahead. With nine strikeouts and seven innings pitched, he didn't just get the guys in red out, he also saved the New York bullpen (which had no right coming into this game) and sent a message to a hard-hitting Philly lineup. And by allowing just four hits, he reasserted that although he may not be an ace, he can still hold down that second-pitcher spot.

After allowing that one run, Burnett didn't let any runners get past second.

On Saturday Andy Pettitte, the Yanks' postseason veteran, gets to take his stab in enemy territory, but tonight, the Yankees are happy for the win.

This series has already turned into a National League showdown, and that's not a good thing, especially since the first two games were in New York. After sporting perfection at the new Yankee Stadium, the Yankees were no-shows in the first game, excluding the bullpen, which showed up to throw meatballs and let the Phillies run away with the 6-1 Game 1 win.

That all changed tonight. There was no New York bombing (the good kind), but there was gutsy Yankees playing, which is exactly what the Pinstriped Faithful needed to see their boys get back in the series.

After falling behind 1-0, Mark Teixeira showed up with a fourth-inning homer that evened the game. He had been batting .182 in the postseason so far.

Two innings later, Hideki Matsui (who has had middling postseason numbers) sent one into the right field porch with two outs to put New York up 2-1.

The seventh inning was a well-crafted Yankees onslaught, with Jerry Hairston Jr. (of all people) making good on his promotion into Nick Swisher's spot (finally) singling. Melky Cabrera provided another timely hit, putting guys on first and second without an out.

In a scene that is a great part of the 2009 Yankees' postseason, Jorge Posada came up to pinch-hit for Jose Molina, who was catching Burnett, as is usual of late. Posada has been able to come in fresh and inject some life into the late inning for the Yankees, and tonight was no different, with the New York catcher lacing an RBI single to put men on first and second with one out and the leadoff hitter coming to the plate. Yankees 3, Phillies 1.

But remember how I said this was a National League showdown? Yeah. On top of the ludicrous starting pitching and Joe Girardi's hyper hook with the bullpen, the manager who holds the American League pennant started managing his tuchis off again. And that's not a good thing because, remember, his team is in the American League. American League. With hitters, and designated hitters. Not the National League, where you managed the Florida Marlins. American League. American.

Nope, we've got Derek Jeter bunting. Not just bunting, but bunting three times in a row, for a strikeout. Derek Jeter. Mr. November. The guy who has more clutch, postseason hits than most people have years they've lived. The guy who hits a dozen home runs in a year then cranks half a dozen over the wall when it comes to the fortnight that is the playoffs.

Men on first and second, and Jeter is bunting. Oi, Girardi.

Stack another blown call by the playoff umps on the next play (a one-hopper into Phillies' first baseman Ryan Howard's glove was ruled a lineout), and the inning was over. But not even Girardi could derail the rest of the Yankees' day.

In a change from his six-relievers-for-two-innings approach, Girardi called on Mariano Rivera to take care of the last two frames. Mo didn't have to pitch in last night's debacle, and after letting guys reach first and second, a dark horse factor for the Yankees showed up. Robinson Cano turned a great double play to Derek Jeter, who fired, legs splayed over a sliding Phil, to Mark Teixeiera at first just in time to save the inning. The Yankees x-factor defense had made the difference.

Rivera was out for the ninth, of course, and Cano caught a lazy liner for a phenomenal second out before Rivera took down way-too-heavy Philly DH Matt Stairs on strikes for the win.

It wasn't a pretty night, with plenty of Yankee problems, but the goal is a win, and New York got that. Alex Rodriguez had another rough night, whiffing three times for the second day in a row to increase his World Series drought to 0-for-8 through two games. Let's hope it doesn't take him as long to get on track in the Fall Classic as it has in the postseason of recent years.

Phillies slugger Howard struck out four times.

Jeter had an uncharacteristic three strikeouts and a double, and aside from the aforementioned hits, there was only singles by Cano and Matsui, leaving the Yankees with eight hits on the night.

Rivera's fourth save of this postseason was his 10th World Series save and 38th playoff save of his career. Burnett got his first win of the playoffs after three no-decisions.

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