Burnett Impresses In First Win
Posted June 27, 2006 12:00 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
A.J. Burnett took an important step towards earning his staggering $55 million U.S. contract on Tuesday night, recording his first win on the mound for the Toronto Blue Jays.
And he did it in impressive fashion, throwing a complete-game shutout in a 6-0 interleague win over the Washington Nationals.
“My first win as a Blue Jay, it’s nice to do it the way I did it,” said Burnett. “First win is a first win whenever it is. As many as I can get is going to get this team to where it needs to be.”
Aaron Hill blasted a two-run shot in the second, and Lyle Overbay had a solo blast in the sixth for the Jays.
After the game, Burnett’s teammates voiced their pleasure with his play.
“It’s relieving when you can depend on that every fifth day,” said Overbay. “We’re going to put ourselves in a situation to succeed a little bit more with him out there. …
“We just need to play consistent baseball. Look at the Red Sox, they’re doing everything to win and we’ve got to learn to do that. We’ve got to get on all cylinders and get kicking.”
Burnett, who has been dogged by nagging injuries, claims he’s in top shape, and ready to do the job.
“The health issues are behind me,” said Burnett. “They (teammates) should know as well as I do that they should be ready to rock and roll.”
