‘美日 생애 197승’ Tanaka’s humiliation, early exit after 2⅓ innings and 5 runs → 10 losses for 2nd straight year…ERA ‘skyrockets’ to 5 digits

Nippon Professional Baseball’s Masahiro Tanaka (Rakuten) was sent down early for the fewest innings pitched this season. His ERA ballooned to over five runs and he lost 10 games for the second straight year.

Tanaka started the game against the Orix Buffaloes on April 18 at the Kyocera Dome in Osaka, Japan. He was charged with five runs on seven hits and one walk with three strikeouts in 2 1/3 innings. It was his shortest outing of the season. Rakuten fell to 3-6, while Tanaka suffered his 10th loss of the season.

Tanaka has allowed five runs in his last two starts, raising his season ERA to 5.09. He is now 7-10 this season and has 197 career wins in Japan. He hasn’t won in his last three games.

Tanaka walked leadoff hitter Keita Nakagawa on two strikes in the first inning. Nishino swung wildly at the second pitch, and Nakagawa stole second.

A grounder to the first baseman got the out, putting runners at first and third. Tomoya Mori hit a double off the center field fence to score the go-ahead run. With runners on first and second, he got a grounder to shortstop and a line drive to center field to end the threat.

The long ball continued in the second inning. One out later, Gonzalez hit a 151-kilometer fastball to right for a double. He then threw a 139-kilometer splitter to Yutaro Sugimoto for a two-run double to right.

Tanaka then gave up back-to-back singles to load the bases. Nishino’s grounder was misplayed by the first baseman, allowing the third run to score.

With the bases loaded, he threw a 146 mph fastball to Mori, who hit it straight at the third baseman for an out. The runner at third was thrown out at the plate to end the threat.

One out later in the third, he was hit by four straight pitches. He struck out the leadoff batter on a wild pitch, but allowed two more runs to score on a hit-by-pitch, hit-by-pitch, hit-by-pitch.메이저사이트

Down 0-5, he was pulled with runners on first and second. The reliever did not allow the tying run to score on a grounder to first base and a grounder to the pitcher.

Tanaka, who played for the New York Yankees from 2014 to 2020, returned to Rakuten for the 2021 season, going 4-9 in his first year and 9-12 last year.