Masahiro Tanaka

New York Yankees Postseason Recap: Yankees lose 8-4 and now face elimination

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New York Yankees, Masahiro Tanaka

Last night the New York Yankees played reminiscent of the regular season when the Yankees only won 2 of 10 teams. Now they have lost two games in a row of the five-game ALDS against the Tampa Bay Rays. Masahiro Tanaka couldn’t locate his pitches, and the Rays made him pay. Last night the Yankees looked like a team uninspired and unable to hit Tampa Bay Ray’s pitching.

What is not understandable is how a team that hit 38 hits and 11 home runs in the first three games of the postseason could go entirely flat in the last two games with the ALDS on the line.  The Yankees only have 12 hits in the last two games with three home runs, all by Giancarlo Stanton, who seems to be trying to carry the team on his back, as slugger Aaron Judge, batting champion DJ LeMahieu and MLB home run leader Luke Voit, just aren’t contributing.

Another question in last night’s game is why with the game on the line in the postseason, manager Aaron Judge would let starter Masahiro Tanaka get five earned runs before being taken out when on the previous night, the took out Deivi Garcia after giving up just one run. The Tampa Bay Rays are playing so well, and the Yankee bullpen can’t hold them down. Nothing the Yankees tried worked against the Rays, who look like they are on a mission.

One huge problem for the New York Yankees is in the name of Randy Arozarena who has hurt the Yankees big time in the last two games. He went 2 for 4 two nights ago and 3 for 4 last night. He has acted as a catalyst for the team. For the Yankees, Giancarlo Stanton has done the same thing but the rest of the team has not followed his lead.

At the top of the first inning last night, Masahiro Tanaka started by striking out the first batter he faced. He struck out the next, then gave up a long ball to Choi that amazingly was caught by a sun blinded Aaron Judge at the top of the wall in right field. Tampa Bay Ray’s Charlie Morton put down DJ LeMahieu, Aaron Judge, and Luke Voit in the bottom of the frame, setting the tone for the entire night.

At the top of the second, the Rays got a sac fly that drove in a run. At the bottom of the third inning, the Yankees got back in the game, evening it up at one, when Aaron Judge had a sac fly driving in Brett Gardner. But in the same inning, the Yankees missed their biggest opportunity of the game, leaving the bases loaded with Yankees.

At the top of the fourth inning, with two on the Ray’s, Kevin Kiermaier hit a three-run homer off Tanaka over the reach of Aaron Judge. It was obvious that Tanaka was not locating his pitches, but manager Boone left him in. At the top of the fifth inning, Tanaka faced Randy Arozarena, who promptly hit a homer off Tanaka into the left-field stands. Arozarena had already gotten two hits off Tanaka before the home run. Had Boone not let Tanaka face Arozarena, the game might not have gotten out of reach.

In the sixth inning, Boone replaced Tanaka with Chad Green; Green had one of his worst nights on the mound of the year, giving up three Rays runs. Luis Cessa came in and gave up another run.  In the last three innings, Nick Nelson and Michael King pitched allowing only one hit between them, but it was too late; the damage had already been done in the Yankee’s 8-4 loss. Tanaka took the loss and Charlie Morton the win.

Giancarlo Stanton hit another home run last night, his sixth long ball in the postseason. He has driven in 13 of the Yankees runs and is hitting .368. In the last two Yankees losses, he has driving in six of the Yankees nine runs.

Tonight is do or die for the New York Yankees in the elimination game. The Yankees Jordan Montgomery will have to hold down the Tampa Bay Rays, and the Yankee lineup must perform as it had earlier in the postseason.  With a lineup as talented and powerful as the Yankees lineup is, winning the next two games is certainly something they can do if they go out there and show the team they are. But they have to get the win tonight to give Yankee ace Gerrit Cole a chance to win it for them in the fifth game on Friday night.

 

New York Yankees Postseason Previews: Tonight the Yankees will try to regain the lead in the ALDS (video)

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New York Yankees, Masahiro Tanaka

The New York Yankees had a disastrous night in an ugly game that the Yankees will want to put in the rearview mirror and look forward to winning a Game 3 to regain the ALDS lead in San Diego. Last night was a game filled with more questions than hits for the Yankees, from managerial pitching decisions to the Yankees striking out 18 times in nine innings, to lousy umpire calls.  The Yankees also blew two starters in one game, when they are already short on proven starters.  The Yankees committed one error in the 7-5 loss.

If the New York Yankees are going to keep from going a game behind in the series, they are going to have to turn it around tonight completely. They will have to have Tanaka go deep into the game to save the bullpen, which was overused last night.  The Yankees will have to improve hitting and make the most of any home runs that are hit.

The only good that came out of last night’s game was that Giancarlo Stanton continued his tear, hitting two home runs on the night and driving in four of the Yankee’s five runs. One of his long balls was for 458′.  In the postseason this year, Stanton has hit at least one home run in each of the games.  But Stanton can’t carry the team on his back, although he seems to be trying to do it.  They will need more production from the likes of Aaron Judge, DJ LeMahieu, who only has one hit between the two games, Luke Voit, who is hitless in the series, and Gary Sanchez who looks like a dear in the headlights at the plate. He was 0-4 last night.

Tonight at 7:10 pm EDT, the weather at Petco Park under the setting sun will be mostly clear and with temperatures in the low ’70s.  The game will be nationally televised on TBS, with pre and post-game coverage on the YES network.

Tonight the home-field advantage at Petco will switch around, and the New York Yankee will have the fake home-field advantage. The Yankees will send out the postseason reliable Masahiro Tanaka to try for a win and put the Yankees back out in front in the ALDS.  Tanaka was 3-3 with an ERA of 3.56.  The Yankees won his last start, but Tanaka did not pitch well; he gave up six earned runs in only 4 innings in the Wild Card round against the Cleveland Indians. Hopefull for the Yankees, that game was an anomaly, as Tanaka, in his eight postseason starts for the Yankees, has never given up more than three runs in a game.

The New York Yankees will face off against the seasoned veteran Charlie Morton. Morton is in his second season with the Tampa Bay Rays after pitching successfully with the Houston Astros and Pittsburgh Pirates.  In his 13 years in the majors, he has appeared in 7 postseason games, going 4-2 with an ERA of 3.70. In the postseason, he last beat the Yankees in the Houston 2017 ALCS, when the Astros were proven, cheaters.  This season he has gone 2-2 with an ERA of 4.74. Because the Rays took the Blue Jays Wild Card Series in just two games, Morton has not pitched in this year’s postseason.  The Rays won his last start against the Phillies on 25th, although he gave up three earned runs in just five innings. He hasn’t pitched in 12 days.

It’s really crucial for the Yankees to come away with a win tonight and get a game ahead.  A game four, which is a surety, will probably be started by Jordan Montgomery now that Garcia and Happ were used last night. The Yankees are really missing Luis Severino, Domingo German, and reliever Tommy Kahnle who are all out for the season, making the pitching a challenge. Should there be a gave five, Gerrit Cole will most likely take the mound on short rest. With Cole on the mound, the Yankees will have the advantage in the Series.

 

 

 

Miguel Andujar best serves the New York Yankees as a trade piece

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New York Yankees, Miguel Andujar

Now before the Andujar fans start to attack me, let me be clear, I like Miguel Andujar. I would love for the New York Yankees to figure out a way to get his bat into the lineup every single day. He’s a tremendous hitter with such a natural feel when he’s at the plate.

Disregarding his defense, Miguel Andujar is a great baseball player. The problem is that he doesn’t fit in anywhere with the Yankees. It’s not his talent level, and it’s not his inability to be flexible for the team as you saw this year from him trying to play the outfield.

Andujar has done whatever he could to get back on the field with the Yankees. However, there is just no room for him anywhere. Gio Urshela has turned into a star for the Yankees. He’s just as productive at the plate as Andujar, but he combines that with gold glove caliber defense at third.

Andujar tried out left field this year, but Clint Frazier has claimed that spot moving forward. Frazier’s drastic improvement defensively to go along with his great bat have locked up a corner outfield spot for him. We also all know that Giancarlo Stanton has the DH spot locked up for years to come.

What the Yankees should do?

Believe me, it pains me to say it, but the Yankees should really look to move Andujar in the offseason. About a month ago, I wrote asking fans the question on if the Yankees should deal Andujar. The results were pretty split in the comments mainly because of the love for Miggy.

I get it. Andujar became a fan favorite back in 2018 when he came up and shined for the Yankees. That year, Andujar should have won the rookie of the year award in my opinion. However, that honor was given to Shohei Ohtani.

The Yankees are going to be busy this offseason. Priority number one should be locking up DJ LeMahieu. DJ has been the anchor for the Yankees the last couple of years and he’s going to finish in the top four of the MVP voting for the second consecutive year.

Once the Yankees lock up LeMahieu, the infield and the outfield will be set for the future. All of those spots are locked up without Andujar. The focus should then turn to pitching. The Yankees have Masahiro Tanaka, J.A. Happ, and James Paxton all hitting free agency.

The Yankees bullpen has also been shaky at times during this season. If I’m Brian Cashman I’m calling up teams ready to deal Andujar for pitching upgrades. Andujar re-established his value with the way he swung the bat towards the end of this season.

Sure, his value still isn’t as high as it was after 2018, but I don’t think it ever will be. No matter how much it hurts to say it from a fans perspective, the right move would be for the Yankees to trade Miguel Andujar and either bolster their starting rotation or get another solid piece for the back of the bullpen.

New York Yankees Postseason Recap: Yankees win a war in Cleveland and advance to the ALDS in San Diego

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The New York Yankees took to the mound in the first inning of the second game of the Wild Card game, ahead of the Cleveland Indians one game to nothing. But the early lead in the series was smashed as the Indians overwhelmed New York Yankees starter Masahiro Tanaka by scoring four runs in the very first inning. Tanaka remained in the game, hoping along with manager Aaron Boone that the Yankee’s powerful lineup could back him up.

With the Yankees behind 4-1 at the top of the fourth inning, Gio Urshela put the Yankees ahead 5-4, with a Grand Slam, when it was needed most. Then, Carrasco allowed two walks in a row then Carassco’s night on the mound was over. Phil Maton took over for Carrasco with two on and no outs.  Ushela  been nothing but great for the Yankees. In the game he became the first Yankee third baseman ever, to hit a Grand Slam in the postseason for the Yankees. Aaron Judge was the ninth man of the inning to come to the plate for the Yankees, he flew out, but the Yankee damage was done, and the Yankees led the Indians 5-4.

In the same inning, the Yankees put men on the corners, still with no outs. The runners advanced, and it was a man on second and third with no outs. Giancarlo Stanton flew out, but Hicks scored from third for the Yankees 6-4 lead in the game.  Urshela up for the third time singled and they got the lead runner for the force out for the second out of the inning. With Urshela in scoring position, Phil Maton got out of the inning, giving up just the one run, but the Yankees were ahead in an elimination game for the Cleveland Indians.

At the bottom of the fifth inning, Masahiro Tanaka again took the mound for the Yankees with 70 pitches thrown.  Chad Green was ready in the inning if Tanaka faltered. He did, and exited the game with the two-run lead.  Before the game, DJ LeMahieu and Luke Voit had already made their mark on the season.  LeMahieu already gained the batting title with a .364 batting average and Luke Voit captured the home run title with 22 home runs on the season.

With Chad Green in the bottom of the fifth, the Indians tied up the game, when Lindor scored off of a double by Ramirez. But Green got out of the inning by striking out two Indian batters and leaving the score tied at six apiece, when the Indians Ramirez flew out to Aaron Judge in right field.

At the top of the 6th, Gary Sanchez regained the lead for the Yankees with a two-run home run off of Indians reliever McKenzie. Yankees 8 and the Indians 6. Down 8-6 and their postseason in jeopardy of a quick ending, the Indians tied it in the seventh on pinch-hitter Jordan Luplow’s two-out, two-run double off right-hander  Jonathan Loaisgia. The Indians went ahead again in the eight inning for the 9-8 Indian lead

At the botton of the eighth inning, Gio Urshela turned an amazing double play while laying on the ground, that play saved the Yankees, and kept the Yankees within one. In the top of the ninth with the bases loaded Gary Sanchez popped out on a long fly ball driving in  a run and the score was tied at 9. DJ LeMahieu got a ground ball base hit through the pitchers legs and into center field, Gio Urshela scored for the Yankee’s 10-9 lead. At the bottom of the inning Aroldis Chapman, in his second inning of work, got the save and the win for the Yankees.  Brad Hand took the loss for the Indians.

In an absolute war in Cleveland, the New York Yankees came away with the sweep of the Indians in the Wild Card, in a game that saw a record tying 19 walks, two rain delays, and the lead going back and forth throughout the four hour and 50 minute  game.  But, with the win the Yankees advanced to the ALDS at Petco Park in San Diego on Monday. The Yankees are now seven wins away from a 28th World Championship. The Yankees were jubilant but did not celebrate on the field, instead, did their usual line of fist pumps.

After the game Aaron Boone, manager of the Yankees had this to say:

“I don’t know how you top that one — the back and forth, the amount of big plays. Tonight just had that feeling that these guys weren’t going to be denied. They weren’t going to lose.”

On Monday, in San Diego, the New York Yankees will face the Tampa Bay Rays in the American League Division Series, in a seven game matchup between two teams, that to say the least, don’t care for each other. The Yankees were 2-8 against the Rays in the regular season. The Yankees will have workout today, and later fly to San Diego.

 

 

 

New York Yankees Postseason Previews: Tonight Tanaka wants to take the Yankees to the ALDS

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New York Yankees, Masahiro Tanaka

Last night the New York Yankees faced the Cleveland Indians best pitcher, Shane Bieber, this year’s Cy Young Award presumptive winner. The Indians faced the Yankee ace Gerrit Cole, a hardened postseason veteran. The Yankees have 40 AL pennants and 27 World Championships in their resume.  Last night experience won over hype.  The Yankees took game one of the Wild Card Series 12-3. Cole stuck out a record 13 Indians in seven innings of work, giving up just two earned runs, six hits while walking no one.  For Bieber’s part, he was immediately shocked by the Yankees when he gave up two runs in the very first inning.  Bieber lasted only 4.2 innings, giving up seven earned runs.  The Indians bullpen couldn’t control the Yankees either. The Yankees used only Cole and Luis Cessa out of the bullpen.

The New York Yankees had an up and down season with long stretches of wins and losses, as they suffered injuries reminiscent of the 2019 season when they had an unprecedented number of injuries.  Although the season was inconsistent, the Yankees found a way to get to the postseason.  Much of the New York Yankees’ success can be attributed to the purchase during the offseason of the best available pitcher on the market. The Houston Astros co-ace Gerrit Cole became a New York Yankee. Not to be overlooked, two players stood out in the season. DJ LeMahieu and Luke Voit. LeMahieu was only on the IL for ten days, nevertheless will be the AL Batting Champ and the only player in baseball history to win the title in both leagues. Voit, for his part, while having foot issues, powered through them, and will have the most home runs of anyone in baseball.

The Yankee powerhouse became evident right away last night. Aaron Judge homered in the first inning on the very first pitch he saw from Bieber. At the top of the fifth inning, Gleyber Torres got another homer for the Yankees. Veteran Brett Gardner added his own two-run homer in the seventh. The Yankee’s final home run of the night was in the ninth, as Giancarlo Stanton added a solo shot. All in all, New York Yankee home runs drove in seven runs.  The other five runs were gotten by good old fashioned Yankee small ball. The Yankees last night showed the world they are a team to be contended with and have taken the first step to getting their 28th World Championship.

Tonight the New York Yankees will want to continue their powerful play and excellent errorless defense.  The Yankees will face Carlos Carrasco, who was 3-4 with a respectable 2.91, but with five no-decisions in his season with the Indians.  When Carrasco hits the mound tonight, it will be his third postseason appearance. Carrasco has pitched well in his postseason games.  In two previous games, he pitched a total of five and a half innings, giving up two earned runs while striking out ten and having an ERA of just 1.64.

The New York Yankees Masahiro Tanaka will take the mound tonight for the Yankees. Tanaka is a big-time postseason veteran. This season he went 3-3 in ten starts with an ERA of 3.56. Tanaka was never, except for the first year of his seven-year contract, the Yankees number one starter, but what he has been is dependable and reliable.  Tanaka is a cross between Andy Pettitte’s reliability and Orlando Hernandez’s big-game sturdiness. Tanaka, in his eight postseason starts, in his Yankee career is 5-3 with a super low ERA of 1.76.  Tanaka, when he is on, is nearly unhittable. He has been known to give up home runs, something he will try to protect against tonight.

Whenever this postseason ends for the New York Yankees, Masahiro Tanaka will become a free agent for the first time since he has been in this country.  Any pitcher that becomes a free agent this season will face a questionable future. With teams losing money this season, there won’t be much money to go around.  Tanaka would like to stay with the Yankees, and a win tonight will go a long way to make that a reality.

“I just thought to myself it has been seven years and it has been a quick seven years,” Tanaka said Tuesday before the Yankees’ 12-3 victory over the Cleveland Indians in Game 1. “It is kind of an end to a chapter in a way, just that thought of being there for a good seven years that is what came to my mind in Buffalo.”

Aaron Boone said he hopes Tanaka is back, citing him as a “great example for any player watching to want to latch onto … he is super prepared. Takes great care of himself. Obviously, he is completely dedicated and great at his craft. It is fun watching how precise he is and how precise he expects himself to be. He’s been a very consistent Yankee performer in all his years here.”

Tanaka will want to seal the deal tonight and prevent the Yankee team from going to a winner take all third Wild Card game, as the Yankees haven’t even decided who might start that game.  Tanaka will need help getting that done tonight; if he has the kind of run support Cole got last night, he should succeed.

If the New York Yankees can win this matchup with the Cleveland Indians, they will go on to what appears to be Petco Park in San Diego and face the winner of the Blue Jays, Tampa Bay Rays Wild Card Series. The Rays are presently up one game in that series.  If the Yankees can win the ALDS, they will remain in the “bubble” and play the ALCS at Petco. If they can win that, they will then travel to Globe Life Field, a  brand new park in Arlington, Texas, for their first World Series appearance since 2009 when they beat the Philadelphia Phillies four games to two for their 27th World Championship.

 

 

New York Yankees: Probable three-man rotation for postseason

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Despite a 10-2 loss to the Boston Red Sox that night, the New York Yankees clinched another playoff spot when the Seattle Mariners lost to the San Diego Padres. This will be the Yankees’ fourth season in a row heading to the playoffs.

The Yankees rotation this year has been up and down with major inconsistencies. However, there’s a clear three that should be in the three-man rotation for the playoff series.

Gerrit Cole

One of the most obvious ones, Gerrit Cole will be the number one for the playoffs. Having Cole on the mound for three of the four games the Yankees need to win is going to be huge. Cole finished the regular season holding a 7-3 record and a 2.84 ERA. Despite having a three-game layoff where he struggled for a bit, he was dominant in every other start.

Yankee fans should be excited to watch Cole pitch in pinstripes during the postseason this year. He’s consistently been great during the playoffs throughout his career. In seven different series, Cole holds a 2.60 ERA through ten games started.

Masahiro Tanaka

In his final year of the seven-year contract with the Yankees, Masahiro Tanaka had a bit of a rough season. He finished the year with a 3-3 record and held a 3.96 ERA through seven games started. However, Tanaka has always been known to hold it down during the postseason. In eight games started, Tanaka holds a strong 1.76 ERA. He has not allowed more than three earned runs in a single outing during the postseason. His best game during the playoffs was during the 2017 season where he went 7.0 innings against the Astros where he allowed no runs and only three hits.

J.A. Happ

Yankee fans should have more hope in J.A. Happ. He proved during the final few games of the season that he can still hold down a major league lineup. He finished the year with a 2-2 record and a 3.25 ERA. As long as J.A. Happ has his stuff, he’s unhittable.

New York Yankees Recap: Yankees embarrass themselves in 14-1 Blue Jays loss

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New York Yankees, Masahiro Tanaka

The New York Yankees last night had an embarrassing loss to the Blue Jays when they sorely need to win games.  If the Yankees are going to have a chance at home-field advantage in the first round of the playoffs, they will have to win all four of the remaining games in the season. If they can achieve that, they won’t be able to play like they did last night. For a life long Yankee fan, this is a difficult recap to write.

Last night the Yankees had as many errors as they did hits.  The Blue Jays scored off the Yankees in five out of eight innings, scored fourteen runs on 16 hits while remaining errorless. The Yankees scored one run on four hits, committing four errors.  The Yankees didn’t pitch well, didn’t hit the ball, and just plain played sloppy baseball.  If they play like they did last night, they won’t even last through the Wild Card Series. After the game, manager Aaron Boone said, we are a better team than this, we need to play better baseball.  No kidding! I don’t think I have ever seen a baseball game that wasn’t a shutout, that a team had no RBIs. The only run the Yankees scored, was when a ball got away from Blue Jays catcher Danny Jensen.

It wasn’t long after Masahiro Tanaka took the mound that he showed he didn’t have it last night.  Although, he didn’t get any favors from the home plate umpire, he clearly was not locating his pitches. Tanaka lasted only four innings, giving up three earned runs on eight hits. The usually dependable Luis Cessa gave up four runs in just 1.1 innings. Two of those runs were left on base by Tanaka. Tyler Lyons replaced Cessa for 1.2 innings, also giving up four earned runs. You know when a team has given up on the game, when they send out their reserve catcher to pitch. Erik Kratz pitched the eighth for the Yankees giving up the final run of the game for the 14-1 Yankee loss.  Tanaka took the loss and the Blue Jays Robbie Ray recored the win.

The Blue Jays are still fighting for a playoff berth, they played with focus and purpose, while the Yankees appeared to have let their guard down, after securing their postseason berth, and winning Tuesday night’s game 12-1. The Yankees must clean up their game play. I have spoken to the sloppy play of Gleyber Torres and Gary Sanchez many times.  Their combined four errors last night cost the New York Yankees. The four errors were the most errors the Yankees have commited in a single game since they had five errors on May 28, 2018.

DJ LeMahieu got two hits on the night, that’s half the hits of the whole Yankee team.  The Blue Jays star of the game was Danny Jensen who got a home run off Masahiro Tanaka, and another one off Tyler Lyons. Jensen ended his night going 4 for 4.  The Yankees blew their biggest opportunity in the game in the fifth inning, the Yankees had the bases loaded with Yankees with no outs, and left the bases loaded without scoring a run.

It was a night the New York Yankees are going to want to forget, as they face the Blue Jays again tonight. After tonight they will travel back to Yankee Stadium to face Derek Jeter’s Miami Marlins, for the last series of the regular season.

 

 

 

 

New York Yankees Previews: Masahiro Tanaka takes on the Blue Jays tonight in Buffalo

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New York Yankees, Masahiro Tanaka

The New York Yankees are coming off a dramatic lopsided win over the Blue Jays last with Gerrit Cole on the mound, only allowing the Jays one run.  Gerrit Cole, Masahiro Tanaka, and J.A. Happ have substantially lowered their ERA’s in their last three or four starts. Cole is now down to 2.84 and Tanaka to 3.27. The Yankees will hope to take their second win in a row off the Blue Jays and give them a chance to win the four-game series.

After losing 15 of 20 games, the New York Yankees have won eleven of their last thirteen games and have secured their place in the postseason.  As it stands today, they will play the Minnesota Twins at Target Field.  If the Yankees win this series with the Twins losing just one game, the Yankees could gain home-field advantage in the Wild Card series.

Tonight will be another beautiful evening for baseball at Sahlen Field in Buffalo.  The game-time (6:37 pm) temperature will be about 70 degrees, and the game will start with sunny skies and remain clear throughout the game, with decreasing breezes.  The game will be televised on the YES Network and SNET in Canada. The game tonight will not be broadcast nationwide.

The Yankees tonight will face Robbie Ray, who is 2-5 with an ERA of 7.17. Robbie Ray will be looking to make a statement tonight and posture himself pitching in the postseason; he would most likely be a reliever in the Wild Card series. According to how he pitches, he could play a more significant role in the later rounds.  Ray is coming off a loss to the Philadelphia Phillies on Friday. He gave up five runs in 4.1 innings in the loss. The 28-year-old lefty has given up four or more runs in six of his eleven starts.

Masahiro Tanaka will pitch for the New York Yankees tonight.  Tanaka is 3-2, with an ERA of 3.27.  Tanaka had a rough start this year. He was hit in the head with a comebacker late in summer camp and went on concussion protocol, missing his first start of the season.  This will be Tanaka’s tenth start of the season.  He has not given up as many home runs this year, although he did give up 2 to these same Blue Jays in his last outing that the Yankees won 10-7. The Yankees have won three of his last four starts. Tanaka has pitched to a 2.54 ERA in his last five starts.

After tonight, the Yankees will have one more game against the Jays in Buffalo. Jordan Montgomery will get that start, before moving on to the final series of the year with the Miami Marlins at Yankee Stadium.  These games are being played in the “bubble,” which means that the Yankees will be relegated to their hotel unless traveling to and from games.  That bubble will last until they win their 28th World Championship or are eliminated earlier.

New York Yankees Recap: Yankees sweep the Blue Jays series in historic fashion scoring 43 runs

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New York Yankees, Giancarlo Stanton

Last night at New York Yankees Stadium, the Yankees made a statement, scoring six more home runs in each of the three games and had a 10 run win over the Blue Jays. The win was a historic win and sweep of the Blue Jays, scoring 43 runs in the three-game series.  It was also the first time in MLB history that a team has scored six or more home runs in three consecutive games. The Yankees made a statement, now just trailing the Tampa Bay Rays by just 3.5 games.

For the first time in Yankee franchise history the Yankees hit five home runs in the same inning, it was the seventh inning when the Yankees blew the game open. Everybody contributed, Giancarlo Stanton went 4-5 and Gary Sanchez contributed in the game. In the seventh Gary Sanchez hit a long double driving in Clint Frazier, then Brett Gardner hit a two-run homer into the Yankee bullpen. DJ LeMahieu stepped to the plate and punched at long ball into the right-field stands. In the very next pitch, Luke Voit joined the party with his homer to right center. Giancarlo Stanton added another home run to right. Gleyber Torres hit a homer into the Blue Jays bullpen and it was 9-2 Yankees.

The Yankees hit 19 home runs in the three-game series against the Blue Jays, the most every in baseball in a three-game series. Even though the Jays tried to really in the ninth inning the night was a historic night for the New York Yankees, trying to right a 5-15 streak earlier in the month.

Not only was the hitting alive in the game, but starting pitcher Masahiro Tanaka made a statement of his own. Tanaka pitched seven solid innings allowing just three runs, walking no one, and striking out 5 Blue jays. He even assisted in a Jay being thrown out at second base. Adam Ottavino who hasn’t been pitching well came in the eighth inning, pitching a clean inning while striking out two Blue Jays. Jonathan Holder who has been the stopper for the Yankees did give up four runs in the top of the Blue Jay’s ninth, but closer Aroldis Chapman replaced him shutting down the Blue Jay and getting the save.

The winning pitcher was Masahiro Tanaka for the New York Yankees and the loser was Chase Anderson, with the save going to Aroldis Chapman. The final score was the Yankees 10 and the Jays 7. Tomorrow the New York Yankees move on to Fenway Park and a three-game series with the Boston Red Sox. Jordan Montgomery will take the mound for the Yankees and lefty Martin Perez who is 3-4 with an ERA of 4.33 for the Boston Red Sox. After facing the difficult Toronto Blue Jays it should get easier for the Yankees at Fenway Park.

 

New York Yankees Previews: Yankees try for the sweep of the Blue Jays tonight at the Stadium

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New York Yankees, Masahiro Tanaka

Tonight the New York Yankees will go for their second sweep in a row, this time against the Toronto Blue Jays at the stadium in the Bronx, New York. The Yankees have gone on a seven-game tear with their first win of the Blue Jays earlier in the month and hope to cap it off with a sweep of the Jays in this meeting.  In between, they swept the Baltimore Orioles in a four-game series.

Tonight will start off with the recently improved Masahiro Tanaka on the mound for the New York Yankees.  He will face the Blue Jay’s, Chase Anderson.  Tanaka has been on the uptick, whereas Anderson has recently declined. The Yankees have been on an offensive tear hitting 69 hits and 21 homers over the last eight games while having better than average pitching results.

Masahiro Tanaka is 2-2 and has reduced his ERA to 3.16 with 34 strikeouts over eight games. Tanaka got off to a slow start after being hit in the head with a comebacker late in summer camp. He has pitched quite well in his last three starts. In his last outing with the Baltimore Orioles on September 11.  He went five innings with 91 pitches, he gave up one earned run while striking out 5 Orioles. The Yankees scored ten runs in the Tanaka win.

The Yankees will face Chase Anderson of the Blue Jays.  Anderson is a righty that is 0-1 with a 5.82 ERA.  Anderson has had seven starts this year, never going more than five innings. He has allowed more than a hit per inning and has struck out 25 hitters in the seven games.  Recently, he has had some rough outings.  The Jays have lost the last four of his starts.  The most recent one was on September 11 against the Mets. He gave up four earned runs in just 2.2 innings. Only three Yankees, Giancarlo Stanton, DJ LeMahieu, and Luke Voit, have faced Anderson in his career, and none of them have hit particularly well off of him.

Before this recent winning streak, the Yankees were behind the Tampa Bay Rays and the Toronto Blue Jays in the East. They have now overtaking the Jays and are just three games behind the Rays while pushing the Jays a game and a half back.  The Yankees are 7-3 in their last 10 games, and the Rays are 4-6.  It is mathematically possible that the Yankees can retake the lead in the East, but is improbable.  If the season ended today, the Yankees would first face the Minnesota Twins in the first round of the postseason.  The New York Yankees have won 13 straight postseason games against the Twins, the longest win streak by any team against a single opponent in postseason history.