A.J. Burnett rode off into the sunset Wednesday, but the pitcher's swan song was hardly a storybook ending.

Burnett's career unofficially ended in Pittsburgh on Wednesday when the veteran right-hander watched his Pirates get eliminated from the playoffs with a 4-0 loss to the Chicago Cubs.

If the Pirates' wild-card loss was indeed Burnett's final game as a major leaguer, he sure went out in style.

Burnett struck out nine and allowed three runs over 6 2/3 innings Saturday in what was likely the final start of his 17-year career.