McCann, Tanaka a hit in second go-round,
TAMPA Brian McCann was extremely excited to go to the ballpark Sunday, when he would have a chance to catch up with several of his pals on the Atlanta Braves.
His day got even better once he crouched behind the plate.
For the second time in the Grapefruit League season, the New York Yankees’ $260 million battery of McCann and righthander Masahiro Tanaka worked together, again with encouraging results.
Tanaka allowed three hits and one run in 4 1⁄3 innings, his longest outing of the spring, striking out six and walking two in the Yankees’ 7-4 win against the Braves.
The Japanese ace was pulled after striking out Tyler Greene leading off the fifth with his 74th pitch, one short of his prescribed limit.
“He had it all going today,” McCann said. “He got outs on every pitch that he has. He was working both sides of the plate. … He’s not a comfortable at-bat for anybody.”
The veteran catcher remained stateside, rather than making the trip to Panama for the Legends Series honoring Mariano Rivera, so he could put in some time with Tanaka.
That also allowed McCann to face his former teammates for the first time since signing a five-year, $85 million contract with the Yankees in the offseason. The seven-time All- Star played his
“He’s not a comfortable at-bat for anybody.” Yankees catcher Brian McCann, on Masahiro Tanaka
first nine seasons in Atlanta and was one of the team’s most influential figures on the field and in the clubhouse.
“I grew up in that organization, from 18 years old until 29 years old,” said McCann, who stroked an RBI double Sunday. “I really, really enjoyed my time there.” While several of the Yankees’ stars were in Panama, the Braves brought a more than representative lineup, with six of their regulars starting the game.
Among them were Freddie Freeman, Jason Heyward, Justin Upton and B.J. Upton, although Freeman and Ryan Doumit faced Tanaka only once each before leaving with finger bruises. Both struck out.
Justin Upton, who went 0for-2 with a strikeout against Tanaka before homering in the eighth inning, said the Yankees’ $175 million import — $155 million in a salary plus a $20 million posting fee — looked sharp.
“He located well and mixed it up well,” Upton said, adding that Tanaka’s vaunted split-finger fastball was as advertised.
“He can throw it in the zone; he can throw it down in the zone for an out pitch. It’s a versatile pitch for him.”
The run Tanaka allowed came as a result of a wind-aided RBI double in the fourth by second baseman Tommy La Stella, the only minor leaguer in Atlanta’s starting lineup.
He’s no slouch, though. La Stella, 25, batted .343 with Class AA (Jackson) Mississippi last season.
Tanaka made full use of his vast repertoire, relying more on breaking pitches than his fastball, which reached 93 mph in the fifth inning against Greene.
But Tanaka’s command got spotty after the first two innings, and the Braves started going deep into counts and building up his pitch count.
That’s not a big concern in mid-March, but it would be an issue if it became a tendency during the season, and it was the one aspect of his performance that bothered Tanaka.
“I wanted to keep the number of pitches a little lower today,” said Tanaka, who has a 1.93 ERA and 10 strikeouts in 9 1⁄3 spring innings, “but the result of just giving up one run, I’m pretty satisfied with that.”