New York Daily News

Begging for a Hiro

Yanks turn to Tanaka to avoid eliminatio­n

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The questions have lingered all year, this possibilit­y that Masahiro Tanaka might opt out of the remainder of his pricy contract at the conclusion of this season, and whether the Yankees actually would be better off if he decides to do so. The underlying problem, though, is the desperate Yanks now need a true stopper-level performanc­e out of Tanaka just to prolong their resplenden­t and resurgent 2017 campaign, and thereby postpone any personal decisions on Sunday night at the Stadium.

They are pressed firmly against the edge in this AL division series following a disastrous loss for them — and especially manager Joe Girardi — in Game 2 in Cleveland, needing to post three straight victories against a rolling juggernaut that has won 35 of its last 39 games.

It is no secret that Tanaka has endured what he acknowledg­ed as an “up and down” season from the outset, from a shelling in Tampa on Opening Day to perhaps his finest start of the year in his final outing last week against Toronto with various shades of the pitching spectrum in-between.

It is clear which version of the $155 million import the Yankees truly need to show up now with their season on the line.

“His last start was up. Very up,” Indians manager Terry Francona said when asked about Tanaka on Saturday. “He’s been a little inconsiste­nt this year, mostly in the first half. Second half, he’s been much better and his last start was really good.”

Indeed, Girardi stressed “we need (Tanaka) to pitch like he pitched the other day,” when the Japanese righty blew away the Blue Jays for a careerhigh 15 strikeouts over seven scoreless innings in his final start on Sept. 29.

That has been the big tease and the conundrum, however, concerning the 28-year-old hurler as he contemplat­es ditching the final three years and $67 million on his deal to become a free agent following an uneven year in which he finished 13-12 with a 4.74 ERA over 27 starts, while still pitching with the partial UCL tear that first was diagnosed in 2014.

“I’ve mentioned this from Day One. I’ll have the whole offseason to think about what I’ll do moving forward, and that has not changed,” Tanaka said on Saturday through his translator. “Right now, the focus is on tomorrow. I can’t really look back and reflect on the season at this point in time.

“Obviously, I did have an up-and-down season, and one thing is that I do need to learn from the mistakes that I made going through that season. But the important thing is to really keep on moving forward.”

The Yankees collec- tively must accomplish that somehow, as well, following a sickening giveaway defeat on Friday, in which they flushed an 8-3 lead largely built against Cleveland star Corey Kluber before getting burned by multiple poor decisions by Girardi, most significan­tly the blown video review call that the manager finally admitted he’d “screwed up” one day later.

The Yanks have no margin remaining for Tanaka to screw up anything on Sunday night, while pitted against yet another rolling Indians pitcher, 30-year-old righty Carlos Carrasco, who contribute­d as much as anyone to the Tribe’s late-season surge with an 8-1 mark and a 1.82 ERA in his final 10 appearance­s. (And yes, I’m aware the Yanks clubbed Kluber, the AL Cy Young favorite, in Game 2 after getting throttled by Trevor Bauer in the series opener).

In September alone, meanwhile, Tanaka alternated three excellent starts at the Stadium with two terrible ones in Texas and Toronto. His 3.22 ERA over 15 outings this season in the Bronx made it the wise move by Girardi to line him up for Game 3, behind Sonny Gray and CC Sabathia in the first two losses in Cleveland.

“As far as feeling the pressure going into (Sunday’s) game, obviously, yes, there is pressure,” said Tanaka, who tossed five innings of two-run ball in the Yanks’ 2015 wild-card loss to Houston. “But that can’t get me away from what I need to do on the mound.”

When Tanaka’s signature splitter is diving, as it was in his 15-K domination of Toronto, he can be nearly unhittable — while also extremely difficult to catch.

To that end, he notably pronounced he has “the full confidence and trust in (catcher) Gary Sanchez,” who has endured difficulti­es with passed balls and blocking pitches in the dirt all season.

“I’m going to go full on,” Tanaka insisted. “I’m not going to hold back anything up on that mound.”

There’s no time or reason to hold anything back Tnow, for the Yankees or for their Game 3 starter. he possibilit­y of him departing this winter always reminds me of the Foo Fighters singing “There goes my (Hiro), watch him as he goes. There goes my (Hiro), he’s ordinary.”

Tanaka cannot be ordinary in what may or may not be his final start in pinstripes. He will make that decision soon enough, but first the Yankees need him to put it off and prolong their season for at least one more day.

 ??  ?? Yankees pitcher Masahiro Tanaka will try to keep season alive Sunday after Bombers dropped first two games of best-of-5 series against the Indians.
Yankees pitcher Masahiro Tanaka will try to keep season alive Sunday after Bombers dropped first two games of best-of-5 series against the Indians.
 ??  ?? Yankees need Masahiro Tanaka to deliver as they face eliminatio­n in Game 3 against Cleveland. Pitcher could also use a big game as he must decide on opt-out clause in contract. GETTY
Yankees need Masahiro Tanaka to deliver as they face eliminatio­n in Game 3 against Cleveland. Pitcher could also use a big game as he must decide on opt-out clause in contract. GETTY

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