Here's the thing about Rick Porcello vs. A.J. Burnett: yes, Burnett is inconsistent and forever a threat to implode, but it's not like you can count on Porcello to keep the opponent silent for very long, either. At least not when the opponent is the New York Yankees. And sure enough, in the top of the third, the Yankees got on the board.
Tigers vs. Yankees: Derek Jeter Puts New York In Front
Oh, but before we talk about the third, there was the second. The second was eventless. Porcello set the Yankees down 1-2-3. Then Burnett set the Tigers down 1-2-3. It was a repeat for Porcello, but a big change for Burnett from his first inning performance.
Now then. Porcello's first mistake in the third was barely clipping Jorge Posada with an 0-and-1 fastball to lead off. Russell Martin then rolled a sinker back up the middle for a base hit to give the Yankees a pair of baserunners.
Brett Gardner followed and struck out looking at a very questionable high fastball, pausing to argue with umpire Dan Iassogna, but Derek Jeter then relieved any concern that the runners might get stranded by blasting a deep fly to center over the head of Austin Jackson. Both runners came around to score - Martin barely avoiding the tag of Alex Avila - on Jeter's two-run double.
The inning ended there with Jeter dying on the basepaths, but now Burnett has a lead with which to work, which is a nice break given how close he came to the disaster scenario in the bottom of the first.
See More:
