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TORONTO, CANADA - AUGUST 15: Masahiro Tanaka #19 of the New York Yankees delivers a pitch in the first inning during MLB game action against the Toronto Blue Jays on August 15, 2015 at Rogers Centre in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Tom Szczerbowski/Getty Images)

Yankees game 115: Tanaka goes the distance for the win

New York Yankees 4 – Toronto Blue Jays 1

The Yankees looked to ride the momentum of yesterday’s win with Masahiro Tanaka on the mound today.

After coming off the bench with a clutch home run, Carlos Beltran found himself in the starting lineup against Marco Estrada. Beltran came up with no on and two outs and delivered his second home run in as many at-bats. The solo home run was the 12th of the season and it gave the Yankees a one-run lead.

For Masahiro Tanaka, he held the potent Blue Jays lineup silent. Through the first four innings, a batter reached base but was stranded.

In the fifth inning, it looked like a different Masahiro Tanaka came to the mound; we don’t like this Masahiro Tanaka. Against the bottom third of the order, Ryan Goins was walked on four straight pitches. Ben Revere hit a single to left field and Troy Tulowitzki was walked on four straight pitches as his control disappeared. Tanaka fell behind Josh Donaldson before the Blue Jays third baseman hit a fly ball that was deep enough for a sacrifice fly, tying the game at 1. Tanaka bounced back, striking out Jose Bautista and getting Edwin Encarnacion to pop out to second, keeping the game tied.

After five innings, the game was tied but the Yankees did not let the tie stand for long.

After Estrada got two outs in the sixth inning, Mark Teixeira came up with the go-ahead solo home run to right field, his 31st home run of the year.

With Estrada out of the game and a scoreless appearance by Mark Lowe, LaTroy Hawkins stepped to the mound in the eighth inning. Hawkins got the first out of the inning before Beltran missed his second home run of the game, settling for a double in right center field. Mark Teixeira went the other way with a single to left field, scoring pinch-runner Chris Young for an insurance run. Noteworthy for the Yankees and their Baby Bombers, Gregory Bird got his first major league hit, a single to left field.

Congratulations Greg Bird, to what Yankees fans are only hoping is the first of many hits.

Meanwhile, the Yankees scored one more in the ninth inning but with Masahiro Tanaka, two runs looked to be all he needed.

Following the sacrifice fly in the fifth inning, Tanaka retired 11 of the next 12 to get him into the eighth inning. With the encouragement of catcher John Ryan Murphy, the Yankees starter took the mound in the ninth inning, with the complete game in sight. Tanaka got a fly out and a pair of easy ground outs to wrap up his nine innings of one-run, five hit baseball.

In a complete game effort, Masahiro Tanaka allowed one run on five hits with three walks and eight strikeouts. He threw 112 pitches, 72 for strikes. He put together an ace-level effort in a game with a tired bullpen.

 

Win – Masahiro Tanaka (9-5)

Loss – Marco Estrada (10-7)

 

Notables

Yankees

*Carlos Beltran – 2 for 3, R, 2B, Solo home run (12) in the 1st, RBI (40)

*Mark Teixeira – 2 for 4, R, Solo home run (31) in the 6th, 2 RBI (79)

Blue Jays

*Edwin Encarnacion – 2 for 4, 2B

*Josh Donaldson – BB, RBI (86)

 

Current Yankees Record: 64-51