Burnett ready for Game 4 start in ALCS

NEW YORK (AP) - A couple of months ago, A.J. Burnett sat back on his couch, put one of his favorite games on the TV and looked for a little inspiration in a maddeningly inconsistent season.

The tattooed right-hander is ready to pull out that tape again. He's got a postseason start to make for the New York Yankees.

Bumped to the bullpen in the first round against Minnesota after going 10-15 in the regular season, Burnett was told by manager Joe Girardi that he'll get the ball for Game 4 of the American League championship series against the Texas Rangers.

The best-of-seven series starts in Texas on Friday night.

"The one thing we've seen from A.J. is we've seen him pitch extremely well in the playoffs, we have," Girardi said Tuesday. "I mean last year look what he did. He threw the ball well. ... I do have confidence in A.J."

Burnett was 1-1 with a 5.27 ERA in five postseason starts last year, including a dominant outing in his go-to video, Game 2 of the World Series: one run and four hits over seven innings with nine strikeouts.

There were too few starts like that this season for Burnett, who is in the second year of a five-year, $82.5 million contract. After posting a 5.26 ERA - the worst of his 12-year career - and only winning once since Aug. 1, Burnett is working hard to get in the right frame of mind for his expected start Oct. 19 - 17 days since his last outing.

And watching a previous performance on baseball's biggest stage could be a big help.

"I saw confidence. I saw a pitcher who didn't try to nibble, threw every pitch with conviction, had a good tempo, a good mindset the entire game. Didn't let anything bother me," Burnett said. "You see yourself do right, you do right."

Burnett, who cut both palms smacking plastic lineup-card holders attached to a set of double doors in the clubhouse and sported a mysterious black eye this season, has his teammates' support.

"We saw how good he was in the playoffs," Phil Hughes said. "I don't think anybody cares what kind of personal regular season he had."

Troubled by Burnett's inconsistency this season, the Yankees went with a rotation of CC Sabathia, Andy Pettitte and Hughes in the division series sweep, with Sabathia ready to pitch Game 4 on short rest if necessary. But because of the elimination of an off-day between Games 4 and 5 in the ALCS, using a three-man rotation would force the three starters to pitch on short rest if the series goes seven games.

"Hughesy's never done it. Andy's coming off of injury. So there's some concerns there," Girardi said.

Girardi and pitching coach Dave Eiland wouldn't say who would start Game 2 or 3, Hughes or Pettitte, nor would Girardi discuss if backup catcher Francisco Cervelli would catch Burnett as he had for most of the regular season, rather than Jorge Posada.

The team will wait until Wednesday to make most roster decisions.

Burnett, though, insisted he had no preference for who'll be crouching behind the plate.

"If I'm right anybody can catch me," he said.

Burnett said he spent the division series rooting for his team from the bullpen, prepared in case he was called upon. One thing he didn't do is think about the season.

"Those numbers aren't going to go away, man. But that's in the past," he said. "This is October and whatever happens in the future is what counts."

What Burnett has done since making his last start Oct. 2 is throw light side sessions. He'll pitch in a simulated game Wednesday.

"It's high noon," Burnett said, joking about the noon start for his four- to five-inning outing. Javier Vazquez and Chad Gaudin, both left off the division series roster, will also throw in the game.

Having wrapped up their series against Minnesota on Saturday, six days before Game 1 of the ALCS on Friday, the squad worked out on a sun-drenched day in weather that felt more like April than October.

Joba Chamberlain, who didn't pitch in the division series, Kerry Wood and Sergio Mitre were among a group of relievers who faced batters in a simulated game before the full ballclub took the field for stretching and batting practice.

"That was the purpose of today, to get the guys back out there and sharp," Girardi said.

The Yankees have had to endure waits of at least five days between series several times since 1996 - including last season - when the ALCS and World Series were separated by seven days. The Braves roughed up a Yankees team that looked flat in Game 1. Girardi was New York's catcher.

"I think the biggest thing is you get the guys mentally prepared. You don't beat 'em up in these practices. You go through the situation," Girardi said. "If you had a two-day layoff, to me, you treat it a little bit the same except you have the simulated games. That's the biggest thing we're doing."