ESCAPE ARTIST
Jams can’t stop gutsy Tanaka
In the first, fifth and sixth innings Friday night, Yankees righty starter Masahiro Tanaka was downright perfect against the Giants: nine batters up, nine batters down.
In the second through the fourth, however, he provided the 45,304 fans at Yankee Stadium some truly perilous moments while performing his own tribute to escape artist supreme Houdini.
“He pitched out of some jams tonight,” manager Joe Girardi said in a case of classic understatement after the Yankees survived against the Giants, 3-2.
Overall, Tanaka pitched well, throwing six scoreless innings allowing four hits and two walks. He struck out four and hit 95 mph several times. It was the 14th time in 20 starts in which Tanaka allowed two earned runs or fewer. And he had to be good because the Giants threw Madison Bumgarner. But both aces ended up with no decisions.
The Yankees suffered a rare meltdown from the bullpen. But Tanaka had provided earlier wiggle room with his escape mode at full blast.
“I always try to not give in, regardless of the situation and try to outpitch the batter,” Tanaka said through an interpreter. “I had some good help from the defense today so I think that had something to do with getting out of some jams.”
In the second inning, the Giants put the first two batters aboard through a walk and single. So Tanka flipped the next three. In the third inning, the first two Giants reached via an error and a single. This time, Tanaka’s Great Escape was aided by a fine throw from Carlos Beltran in right.
Beltran charged Angel Pagan’s fly and threw home. Catcher Austin Romine missed the tag on a sliding Gregor Blanco, but Blanco missed the plate. Romine applied the tag, completing the unorthodox double play. The Giants challenged, but the call was upheld. Tanaka got a harmless third out.
“It helped me a lot obviously. That double play right there made it really easy for me,” Tanaka said.
“My job is to put myself in a position where I can make a good throw and that’s what I did,” Beltran said.
Along with pulling Tanaka’s butt out of the fire.
“I thought his cutter was good, I thought his split was good,” Girardi said. “and his location. He reached back a couple times.”
In the fourth, two hits and a walk around one of Tanaka’s four strikeouts made it bases loaded, one out. No worries. Ramiro Pena popped out foul to Romine and Blanco went down swinging on a full-count, 95 mph fastball, causing an emotional burst from Tanaka.
“I guess I can say just the situation in the game made me become emotional at times,” said Tanaka who has a 1.48 ERA in four July starts (two twins, two no decisions). “I’m not doing anything in particular to get any velocity. Just doing my thing.”
And that thing helped keep the Yankees in it for the eventual win.