Between having lost three games in two days and it being the opening Sunday of the NFL season it was easy to forget that the Yankees even had a game today. It may not have been as big of a game as you might have hoped heading into this weekend. If you're like me then you're of the belief that this pennant race is over. But the reality is there is still a microscopic glimmer of hope glinting in the ruins of this four game series. The Yankees are hanging onto this division race by the thinnest thread imaginable and the only reason Toronto didn't cut it this afternoon is because Masahiro Tanaka wouldn't let them.
If there was any question at all about whether or not Tanaka is an ace, it was answered today. Pitching on four days rest (short rest for him) he took all of the deflating momentum from Friday and Saturday and kicked it in the dick. The guy is the definition of a stopper. He has the combination of demeanor and arsenal that separates him from everyone else in this rotation. When the going gets tough he doesn't pout. He doesn't flail his arms and scream. He gets tougher. When his best pitch isn't working he goes to his second best pitch. When that isn't working he goes to something else. Whatever it takes to get the job done. But he didn't have to worry about that today. He took this red-hot Blue Jay lineup and dominated it for the second straight time. 7 innings, no runs, four hits, seven strikeouts, no walks. 14 swings and misses.
It's tough to feel good about anything right now. The Yanks let an opportunity to make up games right in front of them slip through their fingertips. But if nothing else, if the Yankee's destiny is a one-game wildcard playoff then you have to feel good about your chances if Tanaka's on the mound.
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