Yankees Tanaka: Holy cow! Guess that answers all questions
The Yankees stumbled to a loss last night against the Oakland A’s at Yankee Stadium. But there was a game within a game that was played, and the team won that one big time.
The Yankees bullpen and offense couldn’t get out of their own way last night as the team took a hard left to the chin in a 4-1 loss to the Oakland A’s. It was also a night that saw the Boston Red Sox creep quietly into second place, two games behind the Yankees, on the strength of a five-game win streak.
But the real drama in the game at Yankee Stadium surrounded Masahiro Tanaka and what the outcome of his first start in six days would be following two consecutive disastrous starts.
Was he injured and withholding information from the Yankees? Was he simply getting old early from having pitched at a high level since he was eighteen? Or, was it something mental or mechanical in his delivery that was wrong?
More from Yanks Go Yard
- CC Sabathia defends Yankees’ massive Aaron Judge contract
- Scott Boras closed Yankees-Carlos Rodón deal from Fenway Park, put cherry on top
- Orioles are bailing out Yankees and AL East by botching free agency
- 4 blockbuster trade targets that could be Yankees next ‘big’ move
- MLB Network Radio host thinks Yankees should shell out for Dansby Swanson
Well, after last night’s performance, Tanaka left no doubt when he turned in a masterpiece. Pitching into the eighth inning, Tanaka faced only 27 batters. He surrendered only five hits, one run, and struck out nearly half of the batters he faced (13 K’s).
And that is why the Yankees pay him about $750,000 to make each of his starts in a Yankees uniform.
It goes without saying that the Yankees starting pitching staff has enough problems without adding Tanaka to the mix. Since day one, he’s been the only starter Joe Girardi never gave a second thought to as he penciled him in, barring injury, for 30-35 starts.
And even though Girardi attempted to downplay the worry that was on everyone’s mind in a post-game interview (video below), the fact is that a big sigh of relief was swept across the Bronx last night.
Video courtesy of the YES Network
One game does not a season make. But at least the team knows, and maybe even more importantly, Tanaka knows that he has not lost his splitter. He only misplaced it for a bit.
Don’t look hehind you. Someone might be catching up.
Meanwhile, though, with the Yankees at 5-5 over their last ten games, while the Red Sox have reeled off five in a row, the race in the AL East has become what it was projected to be, a dogfight.
At the same time, the Baltimore Orioles are in the midst of a slump and have lost five in a row dropping them back to third place. Even Tampa Bay, on the strength of their 7-3 spree, is only four games back.
The difference this year, though, is that the Yankees have the privilege of looking down instead of up at their rivals. They’re still playing .600 baseball that translates into 97 wins if they can maintain the pace.
Which is another way of saying that when you’re on top, all you have to do is keep doing what you’ve been doing before someone beneath your team can overtake your standing.
The Yankees bullpen and offense picked the same night to have a horrible game last night. It’s not likely to happen again anytime soon.
Still, with the Red Sox making a play now, the intensity and energy level of the team needs to remain at the high level it’s been.
The Yankees need the remaining two games against the A’s before they go on the road to face the Orioles and Blue Jays beginning on Monday. There’s no let-up. It’s baseball.