AJ Burnett

Will the Phillies win Games Six and Seven this week at Yankee Stadium?

Probably not.

The 1985 Kansas City Royals were the last team to come back from a 3-1 deficit to win the World Series.

However, if the Phillies do pull off some kind of miracle in the Bronx, Joe Girardi’s decision to start A.J. Burnett in game five on three days rest will be second guessed all winter.

In New York, concrete jungle where dreams are made of

There's nothing you can't do, now you're in New York

These streets will make you feel brand new

Big lights will inspire you, let's hear it for New York

This is the chorus (as sung by Grammy winner Alicia Keys) to Jay-Z's current hit single "Empire State of Mind."

The 2009 New York Yankees came into the regular season with a lot of hope and promise. They splurged big time in their off-season by signing ace CC Sabathia, another ace in A.J. Burnett, and slugging first basemen Mark Teixeira.

This was beginning to look like the most talented lineup and pitching staff that the Yankees have ever put out on the field. And, indeed it has been.

Joe Girardi and the Yankees are praying that A.J. Burnett will be able to return to his summer form come playoff time.

After a dominant stretch from June 14 until August 7, in which he went 6-2 and posted a 2.32 ERA, the Yankees' hard-throwing righty has been dreadful on a regular basis. Entering today's game, Burnett had allowed 25 earned runs in 36.1 innings in his six starts following the gem he tossed against Boston on August 7. He was 1-3 in those starts.

After an incredible start to the season, I for sure thought baseball was back in Toronto. Fans were excited, tickets were selling, and most importantly the Jays were winning.

Now, at 34-31 and tied with Tampa Bay for third place in the dreaded AL East, the Jays get a much needed day off.

With the day off however, we don't get to enjoy the Jays tonight. And after so many great games so far this season, I started to wonder about which game was the most memorable game so far. 

The Candidates:

Yesterday, news broke that Yankees pitcher A.J. Burnett would be fined and suspended for six games for throwing high and inside to Rangers right fielder Nelson Cruz on Tuesday.

Riots instantly broke out within the Bronx. Upset fans overturned vehicles and set fire to local buildings, police were called in to keep the angry mobs of flaming bat-wielding people at bay, and general chaos ruled the streets.

Okay, so that didn't really happen.

Major League Baseball suspended A.J. Burnett for six games two days after he threw a fastball that rose up and in on Texas' Nelson Cruz. The pitch did not hit Cruz, but the right-handed batter needed to drop to the ground to avoid being plunked in the head.

Texas tosser Vicente Padilla had already hit Mark Teixeira. Twice. On two consecutive pitches. Both instances appeared to be intentional and Tex was furious after Padilla hit him the second time.

Regardless, Padilla will make his next scheduled start and will only need to pay a fine as a consequence.

Much like the scene at the OK Corral, Roy "Doc" Halladay stood victorious. He allowed only a single run over nine innings and defeated his one time protégée A.J. Burnett 5–1 at the Rogers Centre.

It was the Jays’ first true test of the season. After going up against the likes of the Cleveland Indians and the Baltimore Orioles, they had yet to meet a team of any importance, specifically the Yanks or the Sox.

First, start by taking all of your magazines with MLB predictions and burn them.

Next, grab your television, yank the cord from its socket, and throw it out a second-story window.

If you feel that is too harsh, then simply leave it on the street with a sign that reads “take me.”