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Game 55: Oh, Canada... A.J. returns to Toronto

This is the first game against our northern neighbors this year. Former Blue Jay A.J. Burnett goes against southpaw Brett Cecil in the opener.


W-L G GS CG SHO SV BS IP H R ER HR BB K ERA WHIP
2010 - A.J. Burnett 6-2 11 11 0 0 0 0 71.1 69 32 26 4 24 53 3.28 1.30

Vs.


W-L G GS CG SHO SV BS IP H R ER HR BB K ERA WHIP
2010 - Brett Cecil 5-2 8 8 0 0 0 0 49.2 40 21 21 4 12 40 3.81 1.05

Burnett is having a somewhat strange year. His strikeout rate is the lowest it's been in 10 years, and his hit rate is the highest it's been in five, yet his ERA (3.28) is lower than at any point in his career. The reason seems to be the other peripherals: his walk rate (3/9 ip) is at it's lowest since 2006, while his homerun rate (.5/9) is the lowest it's ever been. He genuinely seems to be throwing strikes (he's pitching to contact) and keeping the ball down in the zone. That said, I do not expect his ERA to remain this low, but rather to reach the high 3.00's by season's end.

The Lineups


Lineup

New York Yankees @ Toronto Blue Jays

06/04/10 7:07 PM EDT

New York Yankees Toronto Blue Jays
Derek Jeter - SS Fred Lewis - LF
Nick Swisher - RF Aaron Hill - 2B
Mark Teixeira - 1B Adam Lind - DH
Alex Rodriguez - 3B Vernon Wells - CF
Robinson Cano - 2B Jose Bautista - RF
Jorge Posada - DH Alex Gonzalez - SS
Marcus Thames - LF Lyle Overbay - 1B
Curtis Granderson - CF John Buck - C
Chad Moeller - C Edwin Encarnacion - 3B