Four of Tanaka’s five earned runs came off the bat of one man: Ian Kinsler. His reaction? “Really? That’s bad”.
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Fulmer continued his brilliant rookie campaign by throwing six shutout innings and powering the Tigers to a 4-1 win at Yankee Stadium.
Sabathia escaped his biggest jam by getting Miguel Cabrera to ground into an inning-ending double with two runners on in the fifth. The Yankees will return to action Tuesday night in Colorado with Nathan Eovaldi on the mound, looking to start another win streak. Something just clicked. I can’t tell you what because I have no idea but something just clicked. Pearce had a two-run double in the first inning, and Logan Forsythe (Arkansas Razorbacks) and Brad Miller drove in runs with two-out hits off Lance McCullers (3-2) in the second. Kinsler got enough of Tanaka’s first pitch over the middle of the plate and lined it just inside the foul line and over the left field fence. “I was happy”, Fulmer said. “No, I’m not giving it back”. But I thought I got better after that. I think it was the heavy air. It was kind of humid out there and kept it pretty straight. I love this team.
Kinsler then put the game on ice with a two-run double to left-centerfield in the seventh inning to close the book on Tanaka’s night.
The Tigers plated a run in the fourth inning on three singles and a sacrifice fly, but they left the bases loaded when the bottom of the lineup came around. Let’s just say the kid has shown the potential to be a big-time starting pitcher in the bigs. The 23-year-old has not allowed a run over his last three starts, coming out victorious against the A’s, Angels, and Blue Jays. The dinger was his 13th of the season, and it marked the fifth time this season he has hit home runs in back-to-back games.
Starting with that start, pitch F/X data says he has thrown the pitch 71 times with an average velocity of around 86 miles per hour. Verlander gave up a one-out triple on the 10th pitch to Headley and had to wait out a almost three-minute umpires review to confirm the original call.
New York’s No. 9 hitter, Rob Refsnyder, went 2 for 3 and drove in its only run.
“I’m sure there’s something to it”, Girardi said. Nick Castellanos homered in the second inning off Tanaka to give Detroit a 1-0 lead. The Tigers also packaged Luis Cessa, the other pitcher obtained from the Mets, in a winter trade with the Yankees to get reliever Justin Wilson.
Masahiro Tanaka (3-2) allowed five runs on six hits in 6 1/3 innings for NY, striking out four.
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Michael Pineda (3-7) gave up two runs and struck out eight in six innings. “He made a couple of mistakes that hurt him”. Carlos Beltran added two hits, an RBI, and scored a run. He has been sidelined since May 26 and has thrown two bullpen sessions. “I don’t know, but I believe in positive energy and karma, and we’re spreading it around”. “That won’t happen. You’re not going to hear that from me.”. Normally a second baseman who’s starting at first because four Yankees who play that position are on the disabled list, Refsnyder had been 0 for his last 12. Ausmus also had a quip when asked if he realizes Yankees RHP Masahiro Tanaka throws more two-seam fastballs. Fulmer said he didn’t really feel anything positive clicking with it until throwing it before a May 21 start against Tampa Bay. “Thanks for the tip”.
