Tanaka returns to the real game after 140 days '197 wins'Tanaka handled 2.1 scoreless innings against Yokohama in the second division, and used shortstop fly ball
Aug 13, 2024
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He got off to a bad start, but he overcame the loss crisis well. He walked leadoff hitter Watarayuki in the first inning. Watarai, who joined as a first-place name in 2024, is a player who made headlines by swinging hard at the beginning of the season. The fastball thrown from the full count left the strike zone with a low course. With no outs and no outs, he gave up a double to No. 2 Mike Ford that hit the outfield fence in center field. I got the first shot.
He faced a clean-up trio three to five times at second and third bases with no outs. As a veteran, he broke through without shaking.
First, he struck out Hikaru Ito. He struck out for the first time with a breaking ball at the ball count of 1B2S. With one out and runners on the second and third bases, No. 4 Yoshitomo Tsutsugo was grounded out to shortstop, and No. 5 Daishi Ota was grounded out to second base. The inning ended in a flash. He threw 18 pitches against five batters in the first inning.
Tanaka walked the leadoff hitter in the second inning and caught three batters with a misfire. In the third inning, he caught Ito, the leadoff hitter, with a fly ball to right field and was replaced. He allowed one hit, two walks and two strikeouts in two ⅓ innings. He threw 44 pitches for a total of 10 batters.
Tanaka, who underwent elbow surgery in October last year, enthusiastically prepared for the season in the first-team camp. However, he failed to raise his pace in the aftermath of the surgery. I started the season by doing rehabilitation training in the second team.
He went to a practice game with Fuji University on the 7th and allowed two hits and two runs in one inning. He hit a maximum speed of 146 km. Tanaka said in a postgame media interview that `I wouldn't have pitched unless my goal was to return to the first team this season.'
Tanaka joined Rakuten in 2007 with one nomination and has 197 wins in total in the U.S. and Japan. He won 119 games for Rakuten and 78 games for the New York Yankees for seven years. The U.S.-Japan team has three wins to go until its 200th win.
First, I took my first step toward the milestone.
Reporter Min Chang-ki huelva@sportschosun.com
huelva@sportschosun.com
