6-9 go 5 for 14 with all 4 RBI. When the bottom of the order can carry the offense, we’re gonna have a good night.
Tanaka was dynamite. I’m really impressed with the type of pitcher he’s morphed into. He burst onto the scene in 2014 as a power pitcher, toppling out around 96 with the best splitter in baseball. Last year, his 4FB was getting murdered for some reason, so instead of being a 4 seamer/splitter pitcher, he morphed into a 2 seamer/slider pitcher. He throws the slider when he needs a strike. His 2 seamer in pitchers counts. His splitter still a quarter of the time. He’s the most unpredictable pitcher out there. When he changed to this new style, he was very solid to finish out 2017 and was unhittable in the post season. If Tanaka can stay healthy, he will be an absolute bear to deal with for opposing hitters.
Our pen, once again, was very good. 6.1IP 3H 2ER 9K 1BB. Betances may have allowed a tater, but he was around the plate with high Velocity. Warren is the only top notch guy who hasn’t seen the field. My guess is Chap is cooked for today. CC takes the mound. It is surprising that really our 5th best starter goes game 3, but I think that’s more a nod to the veteran, but we will see which CC shows up. I didn’t see him in the preseason. CC saw a velocity bump last yr which significantly improved his effectiveness. If he’s 90-92 with his heater, he’ll have another good season. If he’s 87-88, he will not.
Either way, great start to the year. 2 down, 160 to go