Tanaka Is Back And Looks Better Than Ever
SEATTLE – Masahiro Tanaka returned from a monthlong stint on the disabled list to throw seven innings of one-run ball as the Yankees swept a three-game series over the Mariners with a 3-1 win on Wednesday at Safeco Field.
Tanaka, pitching for the first time since April 23 due to a strained right forearm, allowed just three hits with no walks and nine strikeouts in an efficient 78-pitch outing as he improved to 3-1 with a 2.76 ERA in six starts this season.
“It was a good outing, but it’s just one outing,” Tanaka said through an interpreter. “I can’t be too high about that. Right now, maybe I’ll celebrate today, but starting tomorrow I’ll look forward to my next outing and work on my stuff.”
I may sound like a battered wife, but I think this is it, I think Tanaka is good to go. A lot of people want to complain about this team, and don’t get me wrong there is a ton of room for improvement, but I want to be positive because we are a first place team.
Part of being positive is that Tanaka had some of his best stuff yesterday, since he joined the Yankees. Maybe he should have just gotten surgery last year, because he hasn’t been a huge contributor so far this year, but if he can be effective for the rest of the year we will need him. No one knows what next year is going to look like for the Yankees, but right now this team is in first place, with some stars injured and basically only sending 6 guys to the plate every game.
The biggest knock on Tanaka coming in this year was that his velocity wouldn’t be there and if yesterday was any indication, everything will be fine because he is mixing pitches effectively.
In other Yankee news, we will hopefully know more about McCann’s foot later in the day after he gets an MRI. The pain is in the arch of his foot and he has been battling it for over a week, so the hope here is a few days off will get him back in the lineup but if he goes on the DL with the hot hitting he has been putting up lately, all of our signings form a year ago will be big health question marks.
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