When Felix Hernandez throws a 1-0, complete game, two-hit shut-out, that is about all you’ll hear about from that game.
However, if you look at who threw against Hernandez you’ll find that Hiroki Kuroda held his own against the former Cy Young winner. Kuroda went 6 and 1/3 scattering 7 hits while giving up only 1 run. Kuroda walked just one Mariner while striking out four demonstrating the control Yankee fans have grown accustomed to seeing.
Being overshadowed is nothing new for Kuroda. Being on a team full of all-stars and future hall of famers, it is quite easy for one to look past the quiet number-two pitcher in the Yankee rotation. Yet, this year, Kuroda has the chance to do something he has only accomplished once in his five year career; finish with a record over .500.
Looking only at Kuroda’s win-loss ratio while he was in Los Angeles with the Dodgers it is quite deceiving at 41-46, he was actually quite an above-average starter. His strikeout rate per nine innings has consistently been over 7 for the past three years while his walk per nine ratio has never been higher then 2.29.
Kuroda has been nothing other then consistent for the Yankees this year, which is exactly why they signed him this pervious off season. Kuroda sports a record of 10-8 but does so with an E.R.A. of 3.19, which is under his career E.R.A. of 3.42.
Even though Kuroda was out pitched by Hernandez, that shouldn’t take away from how people view the performance he gave today.
