Tanaka hopes sunshine gets him back on track
SAN DIEGO — At first pitch Wednesday evening, expect a 77-degree mostly sunny sky over Petco Park.
That’s a welcomed forecast for Masahiro Tanaka, who detested the elements that disrupted, and spoiled, his last playoff start.
Tanaka is scheduled to take on the division-rival Rays in Game 3 of the ALDS on Wednesday. He smiled on Tuesday as he considered San Diego’s calmer conditions compared to the treacherous stop-and-go excursion his last time out in Cleveland.
“Obviously [this is] better,” Tanaka said Tuesday through an interpreter of the weather outlook. “But you really don’t knowuntil youget to tomorrow. But yes, I think this is better.”
Fans wererobbedof Tanaka’s true playoff dominance when a storm hit the Cleveland area before andafter the delayed first pitch of Game 2 of the AL Wild Card Series.
Tanaka turned in his worstever postseason start, which was jarring to watch unfold for a righthander with a career 1.76 ERA over eight playoff nods to that point.
The botched rain delay — whichcaused Tanaka to step off the moundfor33minutesinthe first inning, stacked on top of a late first pitch — impacted his four-inning outing against the Indians. Tanakaallowed anRBI double to Jose Ramirez before the second delay. He returned and surrendered a two-run double to Josh Naylor and another RBI single to Roberto Perez. Tanaka received a no-decision after the Yankees wenton to win, 10-9, and advance to the ALDS.
Keep an eye out for those heaters: Gio Urshela was the first man at the plate after Giancarlo Stanton mashed his first career postseason grand slam in the ninth inning of the Yankees’ 9-3 ALDS Game 1 win over the Rays on Monday. Tampa Bay righty John Curtiss welcomed Urshela with a couple of fastballs, up and in, that buzzed by the third baseman’s head.
“Nah,” said Urshela when asked if he took exception to the Rays’ curious pitch location. “Not really.”
But those high fastballs from Curtiss immediately raised eyebrows from both fan bases. Not only was the timing suspicious, given Stanton had just pushed the Yankees’ two-run lead to a six-run advantage, but the throw were reminiscent of Aroldis Chapman’s antics.
Perhaps nothing could be made of the Rays throwing up and in onMondaynight. But it’s something to keep an eye on as the heated rivalry between the twoclubs continues in this bestof-five series.
German reinstated: Yankees pitcher Domingo German was reinstated from the restricted list by the commissioner’s office onTuesday after completing an 81-game suspension.