"With sweat pooling on his neck and forehead, his latest outing already spinning out of control, the words came tumbling from the mouth of A.J. Burnett. Furious at being pulled in the second inning tonight, Burnett handed the baseball to Yankees manager Joe Girardi, then muttered a string of expletives.

At first, Burnett said Girardi believed the words were directed at him, though the pitcher said the two had hashed things out later as the Minnesota Twins were putting the finishing touches on a 9-4 victory. But Girardi took on a more defensive tone following the game, frustrated by the perception that he and the pitcher have a developing rift.

"Me and A.J. have mutual respect for each other," said Girardi, who barely hid his anger. "I cheer for this guy, he cheers for me and we cheer for this team. I want the guy to do well, and everyone's always trying to say there's something between me and A.J. What do you want, the pitcher to want to come out of a game? This is ridiculous."

Later, Burnett insisted his words were a reaction to a close pitch to Joe Mauer, which was called a ball. Burnett walked Mauer, the final batter he faced.

"Absolutely not," Burnett said, when asked if he were addressing Girardi. "No matter how mad I get, that guy's (had) my back every day I've been here.""