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Masahiro Tanaka throws 70 pain-free pitches in Yankees return
In a season that's likely to end with the disappointment of missing the playoffs for a second straight year, everything came together for the New York Yankees on Sunday afternoon.
They beat the Toronto Blue Jays 5-2 with right-hander Masahiro Tanaka throwing 70 pain-free pitches after spending 2 1/2 months on the disabled list to rehab a partially torn elbow ligament. And that's not all: Derek Jeter went 2 for 4, finishing the series with an 8-for-15 surge that included four straight multi-hit games — a first for a Yankees player age 40 or older. Finally, Brett Gardner hit the 15,000th home run in franchise history since the Yankees started playing in New York City in 1903.
The best news for the club's future was the return of Tanaka, who was feared lost for the season and beyond in July when he developed elbow pain after starting with a 1.99 ERA in his first 14 starts. Opting instead for a strengthening program after seeing three doctors, Tanaka might only be delaying Tommy John surgery.
Against the Jays, he allowed one run, five hits and a hit batter over 5 1/3 innings. He struck out four, appearing to be in $155 million form. Tanaka said he was "relieved" to make an appearance, pitch successfully and feel no pain. He also said he stopped thinking about his elbow at some point — though he wasn't sure exactly when.
From the Associated Press:
But will the ligament hold up?
''Are we going to know fully until five years down the road? Probably not,'' pitching coach Larry Rothschild said. ''It's possible that he can get through this for quite a while. It's possible that it comes up and bites him, and that's it. We're hopeful that's it's the earlier scenario and that he's going to be fine and have a nice, long career with no problems.''
Yankees manager Joe Girardi said the team aims to give Tanaka one more start this Saturday.
Though still alive for the postseason, the Yankees sit 4 1/2 games out of a wild-card spot with just seven games to play. The franchise hasn't missed the playoffs in consecutive seasons since the early 1990s. A great final Sunday at Yankee Stadium might be the best Yanks fans can hope for.
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David Brown is an editor for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at rdbrown@yahoo-inc.com and follow him on Twitter!
