"There was a 1-hour, 49-minute rain delay to the start the Bombers' game against Baltimore at Yankee Stadium Friday night.

Unlike the two rain delays that derailed CC Sabathia 's potential perfect game on Tuesday night, no one anxiously awaited the start of this game, expecting a special evening of lightning bolts from the mound. If there was going to be any electricity, Mother Nature would supply it from the heavens.

A.J. Burnett was pitching. Whenever he takes the mound, you expect the unexpected, but not in a good way.

Burnett gave up two homers - a two-run blast by Mark Reynolds in the second inning and a solo shot by Derek Lee in the sixth - and that was enough for the Orioles to beat the Yankees , 4-2. Burnett (8-9), who gave up four runs on five hits over eight innings, went winless (0-3) in his five July starts.

Joe Girardi called it a "strange game" in that Burnett had 10strikeouts, two walks and gave the Yanks eight innings, but couldn't get any run support.

Burnett talked about shutting the door on all the negative things that normally unsettle him during a game.

"It was a big step for me mentally. I didn't let the homer bother me. I didn't let the other one bother me," he said. "I went out there and didn't do what I did in the past.

"Where I'm at now I feel fine. I can't wait for the next game."

With his inconsistent performances over the last two years, Burnett has lowered the expectations of everyone so much that the Yankees can count on just one thing - that they can't count on him."