Burnett keeps chugging along, is 'curious' to see All-Star results

DETROIT — It still feels, to some extent, like folks are waiting for A.J. Burnett to fall apart. Well, 16 starts into the season, he’s far exceeded the plans the Pirates had for him this season. When I asked Neal Huntington before spring training what the Pirates are expecting from Burnett, he said this ...

"Don't expect 2013. Don't expect 2014. The thought is he'll be somewhere in between, and we're working hard to help him be closer to 2013 than 2014."

In 2013, Burnett was 10-11 with a 3.30 ERA and a career-best 3.12 strikeout-to-walk ratio.

In 2014, Burnett was 8-18 with a 4.59 ERA and led the majors in earned runs and walks.

In 2015, Burnett is 7-3 with a 2.05 ERA and a 3.33 strikeout-to-walk, a new career-best mark.

Wednesday night, the Pirates bats came to life in a big way, like 21 hits and four home runs big, and Burnett stayed the course to go 7 innings allowing 7 hits and 2 earned runs, striking out 4 and walking none. He threw a first-pitch strike to 24 of 29 batters. That’s efficiency. That’s how to eat up innings after your bullpen just won you a 14-inning game the night before.

"It's never just another game,“ Burnett said. ”I take the mound every time as if they bullpen gets a day off. It's not going to happen all the time, but I try to program myself where I'm going out on the mound and I'm going to go deep into the game so these guys can get a day off."

The All-Star teams will be named later this week. It could be the first time in his career Burnett makes the All-Star Game. Is he anticipating the announcement?

"I'm curious,” he said. ”But it ain't gonna change the way I go about anything. I've a side in two days and then another start. That's all I'm worried about."