The Yanks will probably do some lineup flip-flopping of this nature from now through Saturday. Some of the regulars will be in, others will get days off. I’m betting we see about half the regulars take Wednesday and the other half take Friday — they would then all get two days off, and then another two on Monday and Tuesday as they await the beginning of the ALDS at Yankee Stadium. Girardi has said that he’ll use the A lineup on Sunday.
Most of the regulars are in the lineup tonight to face Anthony Lerew. The 26-year-old righty made his first major league start in two years last Thursday against the Red Sox. He didn’t fare too poorly, allowing four runs, two earned, over 4.2 innings. Note that “didn’t fare too poorly” is a term relative to expectations from Lerew.
Coincidentally, the last team he faced before the Red Sox on Thursday was the Red Sox, back on May 19, 2007, where he allowed three runs over two innings. He was lifted, and the next day was placed on the DL with ulnar neuritis. He missed the rest of the season and pitched only 48.2 innings in Atlanta’s minor league system last year before being released this past March. He caught on with the Royals, and posted a 4.09 ERA over 152 innings this year with their AA team.
For the Yanks it’s A.J. Burnett, back from a visit with his father, who just had a successful triple bypass. It will be his second to last start. There’s not much to really say about this one for Burnett. They Yanks would obviously like to see him pitch well, and then again in his final tune-up start. But if he doesn’t pitch well? It’s not the end of the world. It’s not like the guy’s head isn’t other places right now. As long as he bares down for his Game 2 or 3 start, it doesn’t matter what he does today. It would just make us feel a lot better if he pitched well against the lowly Royals. I mean, it’s the freaking Royals.
Lineup:
1. Derek Jeter, SS
2. Johnny Damon, LF
3. Mark Teixeira, 1B
4. Alex Rodriguez, 3B
5. Hideki Matsui, Dh
6. Nick Swisher, RF
7. Brett Gardner, CF
8. Jose Molina, C
9. Ramiro Pena, 2B
And on the mound, number thirty-four, A.J. Burnett.