Turnin 2 SS 2b
08-02-2002, 11:33 AM
MIAMI -- Not that he's one to brag, but Marlins pitcher A.J. Burnett says when he is on: "I'm a bad dude."
You won't get an argument from the Cardinals.
The 25-year-old right-hander scattered four hits and tossed a complete-game shutout, as Florida beat St. Louis, 4-0, Thursday at Pro Player Stadium.
"Nobody has a better-looking young pitcher," Cardinals manager Tony La Russa said.
The shutout was Burnett's fourth, the highest total in the Majors. And he has five complete games, tops in the NL. The seven strikeouts he threw Thursday give him 163, third in the league.
"When I'm out there, I'm a bad dude," said Burnett (11-7), who has an ERA of 1.17 in his last three starts. "I'm a bad guy. I come after guys. When I have my "A" game, I come after people. I'm a bulldog out there."
Burnett emerged as the Marlins' undisputed ace after Opening Day starter Ryan Dempster was traded to Cincinnati and Brad Penny was saddled with injury troubles. Josh Beckett, 22, also has the potential to be a No. 1 starter, but until the rookie gets more seasoning, Burnett is looked upon as the star of the staff.
"He's right on the verge of stepping it up to the next level and being a star," Marlins manager Jeff Torborg said. "He's right there."
Teams like the Braves have veterans like Greg Maddux and Tom Glavine to help bring along young pitchers like Damian Moss. The Marlins lack that luxury. Julian Tavarez is the only Florida starter with more than four years' experience.
Putting into perspective how youthful the staff is, consider that Burnett is seeing action in his fourth Major League season. Penny has played in three, Beckett in two and Michael Tejera in two as well, if you count three games in 1999.
Before Thursday's game, Torborg met for the second straight day with Burnett. The topic was the difference between "pitching" and just trying to overpower hitters with heat.
"We have been pounding him -- pitching and pitching," Torborg said. "I tell him, 'This is what you've got to do. It took Nolan [Ryan] six years. It took Sandy [Koufax] six years. Why waste those years? Do it now.'"
While his fastball was working -- it was clocked at 99 mph in the first and ninth innings -- Beckett was keeping the Cardinals off-stride with a bending breaking ball.
"This was really outstanding," Torborg said. "He's kind of getting it all together."
In the first inning, Burnett knew he was on. He hummed a 99 mph heater to St. Louis' second batter, J.D. Drew, who eventually struck out looking at a breaking ball.
"I peeked a couple of times," Burnett said of looking at the gun readings on the scoreboard. "It's kind of second nature. It's fun to see, but you can't do that too much."
Burnett has hit 100 mph once, facing Gary Sheffield during a 7-0 shutout on April 14 of this year.
"He threw the ball great," Cardinals third baseman Scott Rolen said. "He was throwing 98 and 99 [mph] in the first, and he was throwing that in the ninth. He can afford to get away with some pitches if he leaves them over."
Burnett allowed only three runners to advance as far as second base. In the fourth, Drew and Jim Edmonds singled, but the Marlins got out of the inning on a strikeout double play, after Rolen was caught looking and Drew was hung up between second and third in a run-down.
After Edmonds' single in the fourth, the Cardinals went without a hit until Edmonds doubled with two outs in the ninth.
"You kind of sit back and become a fan," first baseman Derrek Lee said. "He's throwing 98 in the ninth. He's definitely something special."
With Burnett cruising, about the only thing that didn't go the Marlins' way Thursday was a base-running blunder by Lee that resulted in a triple play in the sixth. It was the fourth triple play in the Major Leagues this season, and the second in four days that the Marlins were involved in. On Sunday at Montreal, they turned the first triple play in franchise history.
After Mike Lowell opened the sixth with a single, Lee walked. The Marlins had the runners moving on a full count to Eric Owens, who looped a liner to Drew in right. Drew doubled up Lowell at second. And Lee, thinking it was the third, not the second, out of the inning, stopped close to the bag at second.
Shortstop Edgar Renteria completed the triple play by throwing on to Tino Martinez at first.
"I should have gone back to first, but I thought there was one out [when Owens came to the plate]," Lee said. "I messed up."
You won't get an argument from the Cardinals.
The 25-year-old right-hander scattered four hits and tossed a complete-game shutout, as Florida beat St. Louis, 4-0, Thursday at Pro Player Stadium.
"Nobody has a better-looking young pitcher," Cardinals manager Tony La Russa said.
The shutout was Burnett's fourth, the highest total in the Majors. And he has five complete games, tops in the NL. The seven strikeouts he threw Thursday give him 163, third in the league.
"When I'm out there, I'm a bad dude," said Burnett (11-7), who has an ERA of 1.17 in his last three starts. "I'm a bad guy. I come after guys. When I have my "A" game, I come after people. I'm a bulldog out there."
Burnett emerged as the Marlins' undisputed ace after Opening Day starter Ryan Dempster was traded to Cincinnati and Brad Penny was saddled with injury troubles. Josh Beckett, 22, also has the potential to be a No. 1 starter, but until the rookie gets more seasoning, Burnett is looked upon as the star of the staff.
"He's right on the verge of stepping it up to the next level and being a star," Marlins manager Jeff Torborg said. "He's right there."
Teams like the Braves have veterans like Greg Maddux and Tom Glavine to help bring along young pitchers like Damian Moss. The Marlins lack that luxury. Julian Tavarez is the only Florida starter with more than four years' experience.
Putting into perspective how youthful the staff is, consider that Burnett is seeing action in his fourth Major League season. Penny has played in three, Beckett in two and Michael Tejera in two as well, if you count three games in 1999.
Before Thursday's game, Torborg met for the second straight day with Burnett. The topic was the difference between "pitching" and just trying to overpower hitters with heat.
"We have been pounding him -- pitching and pitching," Torborg said. "I tell him, 'This is what you've got to do. It took Nolan [Ryan] six years. It took Sandy [Koufax] six years. Why waste those years? Do it now.'"
While his fastball was working -- it was clocked at 99 mph in the first and ninth innings -- Beckett was keeping the Cardinals off-stride with a bending breaking ball.
"This was really outstanding," Torborg said. "He's kind of getting it all together."
In the first inning, Burnett knew he was on. He hummed a 99 mph heater to St. Louis' second batter, J.D. Drew, who eventually struck out looking at a breaking ball.
"I peeked a couple of times," Burnett said of looking at the gun readings on the scoreboard. "It's kind of second nature. It's fun to see, but you can't do that too much."
Burnett has hit 100 mph once, facing Gary Sheffield during a 7-0 shutout on April 14 of this year.
"He threw the ball great," Cardinals third baseman Scott Rolen said. "He was throwing 98 and 99 [mph] in the first, and he was throwing that in the ninth. He can afford to get away with some pitches if he leaves them over."
Burnett allowed only three runners to advance as far as second base. In the fourth, Drew and Jim Edmonds singled, but the Marlins got out of the inning on a strikeout double play, after Rolen was caught looking and Drew was hung up between second and third in a run-down.
After Edmonds' single in the fourth, the Cardinals went without a hit until Edmonds doubled with two outs in the ninth.
"You kind of sit back and become a fan," first baseman Derrek Lee said. "He's throwing 98 in the ninth. He's definitely something special."
With Burnett cruising, about the only thing that didn't go the Marlins' way Thursday was a base-running blunder by Lee that resulted in a triple play in the sixth. It was the fourth triple play in the Major Leagues this season, and the second in four days that the Marlins were involved in. On Sunday at Montreal, they turned the first triple play in franchise history.
After Mike Lowell opened the sixth with a single, Lee walked. The Marlins had the runners moving on a full count to Eric Owens, who looped a liner to Drew in right. Drew doubled up Lowell at second. And Lee, thinking it was the third, not the second, out of the inning, stopped close to the bag at second.
Shortstop Edgar Renteria completed the triple play by throwing on to Tino Martinez at first.
"I should have gone back to first, but I thought there was one out [when Owens came to the plate]," Lee said. "I messed up."