Diamondbacks offense quiet, Shelby Miller hit hard in 7-0 loss.
Reliever extends streak to 25 scoreless innings
The scoreless-innings streak Yoshihisa Hirano took into Saturday night’s game was nothing on the order of Joe DiMaggio’s record 56-game hitting streak of 77 years ago. Then again, the Diamondbacks’ relief pitcher has never even heard of “Joltin’” Joe DiMaggio.
“No, sorry. I do not know him,” Hirano said politely through his interpreter, Kelvin Kondo.
DiMaggio’s streak may never be broken, but the way Hirano has been pitching for the past two months, don’t be surprised if the 33-year-old Japanese rookie threatens the major-league record for consecutive relief appearances without allowing a run. That mark stands at 43 games and it was set from May 1 through Aug. 24, 2016, by the Orioles’ Zach Britton.
Hirano’s scoreless streak, the longest active one of its kind in the majors, reached 25 games on Friday night at Chase Field. That’s when he came on for Andrew Chafin in the seventh inning and recorded the final two outs against the Giants. It established a Diamondbacks record, breaking a tie with J.J. Putz (2012) and Brandon Lyon (2008), and it also tied Hirano with Shigetoshi Hasegawa of the Mariners (2003) for the second-longest such streak ever by a Japanese-born pitcher.
Koji Uehara presently holds that distinction, as he went 27 straight appearances in 2013 games for the Red Sox without allowing a run.
“It’s fortunate to be able to pitch this way and being able to get my job done, but it’s not something you look to do,” Hirano said before Saturday’s game against San Francisco. “You just go out there every day and it’s just happening. The most important thing is being able to pitch for my team and us winning as a team. It’s most important to have the success of the team.”
Hirano was so indifferent about setting a franchise record, he didn’t even bother asking for the ball with which he recorded his final out on Friday night as a keepsake.
“I don’t have it, no,” he said. “I think we’d have to ask C.O. (center fielder Chris Owings) for it. But that’s OK.”
Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo wasn’t shocked to learn Hirano wasn’t hung up on securing the baseball as a memento.
“You talk about setting a team record, which is impressive in itself, but maybe that’s why he’s so good,” Lovullo said. “He’s been on some pretty big stages. He’s been on Team Japan for a lot of WBC (World Baseball Classic) moments. He’s pitched in some big games in Japan.
“I know he is always ready and probably doesn’t get fazed by situations. He doesn’t need a baseball to say that’s he’s been good. He knows he’s been validated by the results, and his teammates are letting him know that he’s doing a good job.”
And yet Lovullo said Hirano’s scoreless streak should be celebrated and not be dismissed.
“It’s hard to put a value on it because he’s so good,” he said. “At times, we take him for granted. You just automatically assume he’s going to go out there and record three outs. But it’s the work habits, it’s the preparation and the ability to execute. He’s got perfect game plans, gets big outs and he’s fearless.
“It’s hard to give it the right value, but it’s very impressive. I know that he will put all the streaks aside to go out there and perform tonight. He has great mental toughness because he hasn’t let this get into his head at all.”
Since signing a two-year, $6 million deal with the Diamondbacks in December, Hirano has just tried to acclimate himself to his new team and his new surroundings. He is getting much more comfortable with every passing week, according to Kondo, who said Hirano’s new favorite American food is the tacos they serve in the players’ lounge next to the clubhouse.
“I’m a little more at ease now,” Hirano said. “The first few times out, I had to get used to different hitters and different teams and I had a lot of things I had to learn in the beginning. Right now, I feel like I’ve been able to face enough guys in the league and have been able to see the crowds to get a better feel.
“It’s different from Japan, but I feel more comfortable now.”
It’s not quite Joe DiMaggio-type stuff, of course, but it’s in the record books just the same. Not that anybody is going hog wild over his scoreless streak. Hirano said he gets congratulatory emails from some folks back home, but added, “I don’t have a whole lot of friends in Japan.”
“I have some people who will text me,” he said, “but no, I don’t think I get any fan mail. I haven’t even checked.”