WILD W MAN!
Tanaka blanks Mariners, makes big case to start one-game playoff
Masahiro Tanaka answered the challenge. Aaron Boone — who said the final 22 games would determine the Yankees’ starter in an expected wild-card game — saw Tanaka throw eight scoreless innings in the Bombers’ 4-0 win over the Mariners on Friday night in Seattle.
SEATTLE — Masahiro Tanaka is the early favorite to start the AL wild-card game for the Yankees.
Hours before Tanaka dominated the Mariners on the way to a 4-0 victory in front of 32,195 at Safeco Field on Friday night, Aaron Boone said the last 22 games of the regular season would determine who will start the lose-and-go home game that will likely be against the A’s.
“That will be decided by the final 22 [games],’’ the manager said. “I think it will come down to who is pitching well, what the matchups look like and where are we bullpen-wise. I think these next two weeks will tell us who that guys is.’’
Should Tanaka pitch like he did Friday night in what is likely to be four more starts, the race is over barely after it started.
“He was in complete command tonight,’’ Boone said of Tanaka, who gave up three hits, didn’t issue a walk and struck out 10 in eight innings.
Tanaka (11-5) is 2-0 with a 0.60 ERA in his past two starts thanks to giving up one run in 15 frames. Strangely, Tanaka — who fanned three in the first four innings and seven over the fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth — said he wasn’t impressed with his pitches early.
“To be honest, not necessarily. I felt I didn’t have my best stuff,’’ Tanaka said through a translator. “As the game went on I felt like I was able to get focused and was able to pitch the way I pitched tonight.’’
The victory enabled the Yankees to stay 3 ½ games ahead of the A’s in the chase for the top wild-card spot, which has the home field attached to it. For those still believing the Yankees are involved in a pennant race with the AL East-leading Red Sox, the victory left the Yankees 8 ½ games back of their blood rivals who lost to the Astros.
Tanaka benefited from a two-run homer by Gleyber Torres in the second and Andrew McCutchen’s two-run home run in the third. Each homer was hit off Mariners lefty James Paxton, who fell to 11-6. Paxton gave up four runs and five hits (both homers). It was Torres’ 23rd home run of the season and McCutchen’s first as a Yankee.
Boone mentioned the possibility of picking from three, four or five starters for the wild-card game, but it’s a three-arm race with Tanaka competing against J.A. Happ and the struggling Luis Severino.
Tanaka entered the eighth inning having thrown 88 pitches, and David Robertson started throwing while Kyle Seager led off. Tanaka’s first three pitches were balls, but he came back to fan Seager. Tanaka then got Mike Zunino and Dee Gordon to ground out.
Robertson took over in the ninth with Tanaka’s pitch count at 102. It was the first time in seven starts Tanaka went past the century mark in pitches.
With the pitch count at 102 after eight, Boone was asked if he thought about sending Tanaka to the mound for the ninth.
“No, that was it. We were pretty sure that was going to be the end of the night there,’’ said Boone, who watched Robertson close out the Yankees’ 10th shutout.
“After having a tough inning in the seventh when he had to grind through and make some pitches and getting a little behind there in the eighth, I think Masa, when we told him, he knew it was coming.’’
Tanaka couldn’t explain how he is 7-0 with a 2.02 ERA in eight career starts against the Mariners or why suddenly he has avoided giving up home runs.
“To be honest, I don’t know,’’ said Tanaka, who hasn’t given up a long ball in the past three starts and just one in the previous five after giving up 16 homers in a 12-game stretch from May 9 to Aug. 10. “I haven’t changed my approach. Hopefully, I keep this up.’’
If he continues to pitch like he did Friday night, Tanaka can expect to get the ball from Boone on Oct. 3 against the A’s no matter where the game is played. And regardless of what the others competing for that ball do.