Masahiro Tanaka

New York Yankees: Aroldis Chapman Blows Game in Unusual Form, Losing 3-1 Vs Detroit

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New York Yankees, Aroldis Chapman

With the game going to the top of the ninth, New York Yankees hard-throwing lefty Aroldis Chapman was called from the bullpen to get three big outs, even though it wasn’t a save situation.

One problem: he didn’t get the job done.

The Detroit Tigers scored two runs off of Chapman before the Yankees were shut down in the ninth inning, losing 3-1.

After a strikeout to John Hicks, Niko Goodrum walked, then Dustin Peterson followed with a double to score Goodrum. Chapman then retired Grayson Greiner, but gave up a single to Jordy Mercer, which scored Peterson before finally retiring the side.

Dismal offense:

You couldn’t say that the Yankees had trouble hitting with runners in scoring position because there were barely any runners in scoring position. They only had three attempts with runners on second and/or third, and converted zilch.

Their only run came off a sacrifice fly by newly recalled Clint Frazier after DJ LeMahieu singled and new Yankee Mike Tauchman hit a ground rule double down the left field line.

Tauchman got his first career Yankee hit, while back-up catcher Austin Romine and also newly recalled Tyler Wade got their first hits of 2019.

Tanaka did his part for the New York Yankees:

Masahiro Tanaka had his second start of the 2019 season, and though he allowed several well hit balls to deep in the park, he got the job done. He pitched 6 2/3 innings while giving up eight hits, allowing one run, and striking out seven.

The 1-2 punch of the splitter and the slider seemed to work well yet again for the right-hander from Hyogo, Japan, getting most of his strikeouts from it along with a few fastballs. The splitter definitely worked the very best, minimizing contact with that pitch. The hard hit balls were with the slider and the fastball. Jeimer Candelario of the Tigers hit a hard double off of a curveball, one of the few he threw all night.

So despite not having his best stuff, anytime you pitch 6 2/3 innings and only give up run, it means that you are doing something right. Another good start for the righty, I just wish there could be more offense.

The rubber match of the series will be Wednesday late-afternoon with a 4:05PM start time.  Jonathan Loaisiga will take the ball against the Tigers’ Matthew Boyd. The game will be on YES Network and Fox Sports Go.

Three run first inning powers New York Yankees to Opening Day Win

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New York Yankees, Yankees, Luke voit

It didn’t take very long for New York Yankees first baseman Luke Voit to prove haters wrong.

After back-to-back singles by Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton, Voit cranked a low slider on a 3-1 count into Monument Park for the Yankees first three runs of the game and season, and it led them to a 7-2 victory over the Baltimore Orioles.

That home run was Voit’s only official at-bat, he took walks in two other plate appearances and was also hit by a pitch. His hit-by-pitch actually resulted in an RBI, as the bases were loaded. Aaron Judge was the only Yankee with multiple hits, a single to right and an infield single. All Yankee batters besides leadoff hitter Brett Gardner had a hit, but Gardner did have a walk.

Greg Bird went 1-for-4 on the game, with three strikeouts and a home run into the Yankee bullpen. Miguel Andujar had a single to CF in the seventh and an RBI sacrifice fly early on. Andujar, however, did have a throwing error in the fourth inning.

A quality start for Tanaka:

Masahiro Tanaka got his 2019 season off to a good start, giving up six hits, two runs (one earned), and fired five strikeouts in 5 2/3 innings of work. Only throwing 83 pitches, the Yankees didn’t want to stretch it with him as the team doesn’t play again until Saturday.

Tanaka was throwing his slider and splitter well and for strikes. All five strikeouts were swinging, including him striking out the side in the second inning using mainly offspeed pitches. Most outs came from his slider or splitter, and he only threw a few curveballs all game.

Tanaka faced 22 batters and threw first-pitch strikes to 12 of them.

Ottavino showed out in his first game:

Adam Ottavino had no New York jitters. He came out to relieve Tanaka in the sixth inning with two outs to strike out Rio Ruiz, then came back for the seventh inning getting two more strikeouts and a lineout to Troy Tulowitzki at shortstop, who got a hit in his first game as a Yankee.

Zach Britton and Aroldis Chapman came in for the eighth and ninth innings, and each pitched scoreless innings despite both giving up a hit.

The two teams don’t play on Friday but will continue the series on Saturday at 1:05PM on YES Network, ESPN+, or FOX Sports Go. The probable starters for the game are Nate Karns and James Paxton.

 

New York Yankees: Masahiro Tanaka Dominant in Spring Debut

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New York Yankees, Masahiro Tanaka

New York Yankees starting pitcher Masahiro Tanaka had is spring debut on Sunday at home against the Tigers, and boy he sure looked good.

In the first inning, Tigers centerfielder Daz Cameron rocketed a double deep into center field, but Tanaka stranded him on third by striking out the next two batters and forcing a fly out to center for the third out.

Tanaka’s second inning was flawless, working three groundouts to the left side, two of them to Miguel Andujar at third. The first one, Andujar took a few steps right to field a backhanded, hard-hit ground ball, and threw a two-hopper to first. The second was a routine ground ball that he put away with ease.

The third inning was just as good for Tanaka, getting the leadoff hitter to groundout to Kyle Holder at short, then two easy flyouts to Estevan Florial in center.

His final stat line: three innings, one hit, two strikeouts, and one runner stranded at third.

He also got a little run support in the first two innings, Brett Gardner hit two homeruns to right field for his first two hits of the spring, Aaron Judge lined his first homerun of the spring to right, and Gary Sanchez hit a screamer down the left field line that barely stayed fair.

Yankees feature two squads in two-game Sunday:

The Yankees are actually playing as a split squad today, the other team is playing the Toronto Blue Jays in Dunedin. Luke Voit is leading the way down there with a solo homerun, making the fight for first base even more interesting.