How a reborn Tanaka can really help the Yankees in October

SEATTLE – If Yankees fans were paranoid that their team would be sort of out of the playoffs, the Friday night game at Safeco Field was very reassuring.

Do not waste your time breaking another worry: do not sweat to start the card game of the American League. The biggest concern should be whether the Yankees have the rotational power to resist the Red Sox in the AL Division series.

If Masahiro Tanaka can continue his current groove for a few more weeks, it will be a giant step for such an initiative.

Tanaka threw in eight shutouts to lead the Yankees to a 4-0 victory over the Mariners, which propelled their lead over Seattle to 10 games and lowered the magic number of the Yankees to a playoff spot of 12.

The right-hander, once the ace of the team and perhaps on his way to be still, scored no goals and eliminated 10 because he allowed only three hits. withdrawals on 11 steps and only six circuits.

"He really started to lock him up," said manager Aaron Boone. "He was on full order there tonight."

Before the match, Boone, questioned about determining his thrower in the Yankees' likely game on Oct. 3 against Oakland (who beat the Rangers, remaining 3 ½ games, four in the losses column, behind the Yankees), has said: "The next few weeks will tell us who the guy is."

I say, think bigger. Tanaka? J.A. Happ? Luis Severino? You can ask one of them to get wild cards, and of course, the better the player is, the less he wins and optimizes his chances of beating the Red Sox in the AL series. Division.

Joe Girardi nevertheless showed last year that these Yankees, with a large supply of power bats in the formation and strong arms in the oxen, could overcome a bad start (against Severin, against the Twins) in the losing contest as the manager behaves proactively and gives the guy the hook. The Yankees' lineup and referees remain powerful assets, especially if Aaron Judge can heal his fractured right wrist in time, so he'll be on Boone to start playing as soon as needed in his first playoff game.

You can not fight your way through a series, however, at least two starting pitchers, realistically, must bring a respectable mix of length and skill. Think of how Tanaka (seven innings of white in the third match) and Severino (three points in seven innings in the fourth match) excelled in leading the Yankees back against the Indians and preserving the mechanism. When Severino failed the Astros in the AL championship series, even as Tanaka continued to excel, the Yankees could no longer survive.

Tanaka is excelling, though, typically, he rejected a correlation between his September efforts and what was expected to happen in October.

"I do not want to look too far," he said through an interpreter. "I think it's very important to focus on the current game. So, that's the mentality right now. I will make adjustments for the next game and I will be effective. "

Friday marked its first start since the Angels announced the recommendation that Japanese rookie Shohei Ohtani undergo a right elbow operation damaged by Tommy John, and Tanaka reminded us that he has performed remarkably well over the past four years. throw the elbow of the UCL.

The two-run circuits of Gleyber Torres (in the second inning) and newcomer Andrew McCutchen (in the third) gave him all the support he needed. And he worked through his only jam, while two Mariners reached base in sixth, beating Dee Gordon, Mitch Haniger and, on a bad shooter, the former Yankee Robinson Cano. Boone also made sure to credit Tanaka defender Gary Sanchez, whose defensive struggles sparked discussions.

"I did not have my best stuff," Tanaka said afterwards. This quality of things can however keep the Yankees safe from the monstrous attack of the Red Sox. So, Happ and Severino can get close to their best, and you never rely on CC Sabathia to fight their way through two rounds.

A night like this called the Yankees and their fan base to push back their worst scenarios and dream about what could be. It could work. If this is not the most likely outcome, it is in the realm of possibilities. All the more so as their call to arms receives resounding answers like those of Tanaka.