(Sports Network) - The last time A.J. Burnett faced the Philadelphia Phillies he could not get out of the third inning. He will certainly need a better effort tonight if he intends on halting a personal two-game losing streak in the middle test of the New York Yankees' three-game set with the Phillies at Yankee Stadium.
After pitching one of the best games of his career in Game 2 of last year's World Series, Burnett was rocked in Game 5 for six runs on four hits and four walks in just two-plus innings of work.
Burnett has been wildly inconsistent this season, going 6-4 with a 3.86 earned run average. He has lost his last two starts, allowing 10 runs and 14 hits -- four home runs -- in 12 2/3 innings. The lowly Baltimore Orioles got the best of him on Thursday, reaching Burnett for four runs and eight hits in 6 2/3 innings.
For his career Burnett is just 5-8 against the Phils with a 4.75 ERA in 17 games (16 starts).
New York jumped all over Roy Halladay in the opener of this set on Tuesday, as Nick Swisher's two-run homer was one of three allowed by the Phillies' ace in the Yankees' 8-3 win.
In last year's Fall Classic, the Yankees downed the Phillies in six games to capture their 27th world title, ending a nine-year drought.
Brett Gardner hit a two-run triple while Francisco Cervelli drove in a pair of runs for the Yankees, who have won four straight and seven of their last eight. Curtis Granderson and Mark Teixeira also homered in the win.
CC Sabathia (7-3) won his third straight start as he went seven innings and was charged with three runs on five hits with three walks and seven strikeouts for New York, which has won nine straight home games.
Jayson Werth, Raul Ibanez and Ben Francisco each drove in a run for the Phillies, who have dropped four of their last five. Halladay (8-5) was tagged with the loss as he was roughed up for six runs on eight hits with a pair of walks and five strikeouts over six innings of work.
"I knew I was missing [my spots] and I wasn't getting away with many of them," Halladay said. "They're a good team. They don't chase a lot of bad pitches."
Philadelphia will turn to veteran lefty Jamie Moyer tonight. Kyle Kendrick was slated to start, but instead he will go in Thursday's finale. Moyer, meanwhile, will be trying to bounce back from a horrific outing in Boston on Friday that saw him surrender nine runs and nine hits in one-plus inning of work. The loss dropped him to 6-6 on the year, while ballooning his ERA to 5.03.
Moyer has faced the Yankees 36 times (34 starts) and is 10-9 with a 4.78 ERA against them.
The 47-year-old may have to contend with three-time AL MVP Alex Rodriguez, who missed his fourth straight game on Tuesday, but could be back in the lineup this evening.
The Phillies took two of three at Yankee Stadium during interleague play last season, but are just 2-5 versus the AL this season. New York is 5-2 against the Senior Circuit this season.