Don’t bet on spring omen for Tanaka

TAMPA, Fla. — A year ago, Masahiro Tanaka sizzled in spring training and went flat when the games counted.

That put him in the very large file of advice from people who watch players in spring training for a living which is labeled: Don’t Fall In Love Under The Palm Trees.

So for those who heed that advice, Tanaka’s outstanding performance Friday against the Red Sox at George M. Steinbrenner Field was akin to a bullpen session early in camp.

Yet, because there was a sense of urgency coming from pitching coach Larry Rothschild and Tanaka in his final spring start before facing the Blue Jays in the second game of the season, it was more comforting to the Yankees and the right-hander that he didn’t command the strike zone and give up a bucket full of hits.

“I said to myself that I was going to pitch like I would pitch in the regular season, and that’s what I did today,” Tanaka said while an eventual 5-0 loss unfolded.

After the righty gave up four runs and four hits (two homers) March 17 against the Tigers in Lakeland, Fla., Rothschild said it was time for Tanaka to pitch as if the game mattered.

His first 12 pitches Friday were strikes, and the splitter danced in the cool afternoon air and helped him strike out six in 5 2/3 innings. He allowed one run and five hits. The lone run was Ivan DeJesus Jr.’s home run in the third inning.

“Overall, I thought it was good,” Tanaka said of his splitter. “It started to get a little bit more elevated as the innings went by. But overall, I thought it was good.’’

So, too, did manager Aaron Boone, who chose Luis Severino instead of Tanaka to face the Blue Jays on Opening Day in Toronto on Thursday. Tanaka was Joe Girardi’s starter on Opening Day for the previous three seasons.

“I thought [Tanaka] was sharp and I thought his fastball was pretty good,” Boone said. “The secondary stuff, the split, which has been good all spring, I thought it was a good step toward the start of the season. Larry and his commitment to the fastball early in camp helped his arm, and he looked pretty sharp to me with all his secondary stuff, and that split continues to be very good and some good fastballs.”

Tanaka’s last two spring trainings, however, haven’t provided clues as to what the regular season will deliver. In 2016, Tanaka was 1-1 with a 7.36 ERA in four games. He followed that with a 14-4 record and 3.07 ERA in 31 games and worked 199 2/3 innings, which is the most Tanaka has logged with the Yankees. Last spring, Tanaka was 3-1 with a 0.38 ERA in six games and went 13-12 with a 4.74 ERA in 30 starts. The ERA was Tanaka’s worst as a Yankee.

Tanaka rebounded in the postseason, when he went 2-1 with a microscopic 0.90 ERA in three starts.

Draw your own conclusions about Tanaka going 0-3 with a 7.24 ERA in four spring starts. Start worrying that the No. 2 starter is in for a beating. Or believe that everything goes back to zero when the first pitch of the regular season is thrown and Tanaka will be the reliable starter the Yankees need to have in order to support a lineup and bullpen that are considered the best in baseball.