Daily Local News (West Chester, PA)

Tanaka outduels Sale for Yanks

- By Jimmy Golden

New York Yankees starters failed to record a complete game in all of 2016 — the first time in franchise history that’s happened.

Masahiro Tanaka ended that slump this season before April was up.

Tanaka pitched a threehitte­r to outduel Chris Sale and earn his first shutout since 2014, and the Yankees beat Boston 3-0 on Thursday night.

Tanaka (3-1) struck out three and threw only 97 pitches for his fifth career complete game — his first since Aug. 15, 2015, which was also the last for New York.

“I knew that we were facing a good pitcher in Chris Sale. Knew how important one run could be, so I tried to go out there and put up zeroes,” said Tanaka, who earned his 10th win in his last 11 decisions dating to last season. “A lot of people thought Chris Sale had the upper hand, the way he was pitching.”

Tanaka retired the last 14 batters he faced and only allowed one runner to reach second base as the Yankees earned their fifth straight victory over the rival Red Sox. Aaron Hicks had two hits and scored twice, and Matt Holliday had two hits and two RBIs.

Sale (1-2) nearly matched Tanaka most of the way, allowing only one unearned run over the first eight innings before giving up three straight singles to start the ninth, when the Yankees added two more runs.

“We had a chance going into the ninth,” he said. “I just completely took the wind out of the sails.”

Yankees pitching coach Larry Rothschild said Tanaka spoke before the game of the challenge of facing Sale.

“He went toe to toe with Chris Sale,” manager Joe Girardi agreed. “He knew he couldn’t afford to give up a whole lot of runs. (There was) more pressure on him, in a sense, and he really rose to the occasion.”

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