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Masahiro Tanaka debut: Yankees top Blue Jays despite rough start
TORONTO — Masahiro Tanaka pitched seven innings to win his major league debut, Jacoby Ellsbury had three hits and the New York Yankees beat the Toronto Blue Jays 7-3 on Friday night. Staked to a 2-0 lead before taking the mound, Tanaka (1-0) got a startling welcome to the major leagues when the Japanese right-hander surrendered a home run to Toronto's Melky Cabrera on his third pitch. It was Cabrera's first homer of the season and the second leadoff shot of his career.
Tanaka settled down to retire the next three batters, catching Jose Bautista looking at a curveball and getting Edwin Encarnacion to miss on a slider.New York reclaimed the lead and chased Blue Jays starter Dustin McGowan (0-1) with a two-run third that was aided by an overturned call. McGowan thought he'd escaped a jam when Ichiro Suzuki was called out on an infield chopper, but Joe Girardi argued and the call was changed after replay review. Yangervis Solarte followed with a two-run double.Tanaka looked comfortable the rest of the way, facing just one batter over the minimum in his final five innings. Encarnacion hit a one-out double in the third but was left stranded. He reached again on an infield single off Solarte's glove to begin the sixth but was erased on a double play.Tanaka allowed three runs, two earned, and six hits, walked none and struck out eight. He threw 97 pitches, 65 strikes.
TORONTO — Masahiro Tanaka pitched seven innings to win his major league debut, Jacoby Ellsbury had three hits and the New York Yankees beat the Toronto Blue Jays 7-3 on Friday night. Staked to a 2-0 lead before taking the mound, Tanaka (1-0) got a startling welcome to the major leagues when the Japanese right-hander surrendered a home run to Toronto's Melky Cabrera on his third pitch. It was Cabrera's first homer of the season and the second leadoff shot of his career.
Tanaka settled down to retire the next three batters, catching Jose Bautista looking at a curveball and getting Edwin Encarnacion to miss on a slider.New York reclaimed the lead and chased Blue Jays starter Dustin McGowan (0-1) with a two-run third that was aided by an overturned call. McGowan thought he'd escaped a jam when Ichiro Suzuki was called out on an infield chopper, but Joe Girardi argued and the call was changed after replay review. Yangervis Solarte followed with a two-run double.Tanaka looked comfortable the rest of the way, facing just one batter over the minimum in his final five innings. Encarnacion hit a one-out double in the third but was left stranded. He reached again on an infield single off Solarte's glove to begin the sixth but was erased on a double play.Tanaka allowed three runs, two earned, and six hits, walked none and struck out eight. He threw 97 pitches, 65 strikes.
