Masahiro Tanaka (11-2, 2.11 ERA) will take on the rival Red Sox in the Bronx with Jon Lester (8-7, 3.14 ERA) going for Boston. Tanaka took only his second loss of the year against Baltimore in his last start. He allowed six hits and three earned runs over seven innings but the bull pen didn’t reward his hard work, giving up five runs. Hhe’s thrown over 100 pitches in six straight starts, continuing his dominance midway through the season. “Tanaka is a guy that at most has thrown 226 innings,” Joe Girardi. “He’s on pace to throw 226 innings. He was pretty adjusted to the Japanese league when you go 24-0 you’re pretty adjusted to that routine. He’s been good.
Lester was in line to get the win last time out against Oakland before Koji Uehara blew the save. Lester gave up four hits and three runs, two of them earned, over 7 2/3 innings. He’s been a workhorse for the Sox, throwing over 100 pitches his last three outings while surrendering just four earned runs and striking out 14 in that span.
The Sox have seen Tanaka once this season, but aren’t expecting an easy game. “I think any time you have first hand experience, it’s gonna give you a little bit more of a reference point,” John Farrell. “He was very good against us with the exception of a couple of at bats where we hit a couple of solo home runs against him in Fenway, but still, he goes around the league a couple of times, he’s been very successful.”
Notes on the game
Tanaka has given up seven homers at home.
The Red Sox have scored three runs or fewer in 11 of their last 13 games.
The Yankees are 12-3 when Tanaka starts and 29-34 in all other games.
First pitch at 7:15 PM on Fox.
