Spring Training notes: Masahiro Tanaka, Yankees team up to no-hit Tigers
No runs once again off Masahiro Tanaka. No hits off him or the New York Yankees’ bullpen, either.
Tanaka and two relievers combined on a spring training no-hitter against the Detroit Tigers in a 3-0 win Friday in Lakeland, Florida.
New York manager Joe Girardi didn’t keep the lineup card as a souvenir, but still appreciated the effort.
“I’m happy for our guys,” Girardi said. “It’s fun. Obviously, it means more if it’s the regular season, but still it’s a no-hitter.”
Tanaka, scheduled to start on opening day, struck out six and walked two in 4 1-3 innings. The Japanese ace has thrown 13 1/3 scoreless innings in exhibition play.
“I felt that I wasn’t at my best, but considering that I still was able to put up some zeroes, so that part satisfied me,” Tanaka said through a translator. “The slider and the cut fastball, the location of it, I felt like I was all over the place. The command of those can be better.”
After Chasen Shreve got the final two outs in the fifth, Jordan Montgomery finished up with four perfect innings. Montgomery has emerged as candidate for a bullpen spot and could get into the mix for open fifth starter spot.
Tigers manager Brad Ausmus said “there was pride involved” in trying to avoid being no-hit, even in an exhibition game.
“You don’t want to get no-hit, whether it’s spring training or regular season, Wiffle ball in the backyard,” Ausmus said. “It was on the radar.”
J.D. Martinez, Nick Castellanos and Justin Upton were among the Detroit regulars who started. Ausmus noted that players who worked out early and left the ballpark before the game ended “might not even know at this point” what had taken place.
Tigers starter Michael Fulmer gave up three runs in his 3 1/3 innings. Three of the four hits he allowed were doubles.
Around the Grapefruit and Cactus Leagues
ASTROS (ss) 5, BRAVES 4
Houston starter Dallas Keuchel threw four scoreless innings, scattering three hits. He has yet to give up an earned run this spring. Derek Fisher doubled and drove in three runs.
Atlanta’s Matt Wisler pitched one-hit ball for four scoreless innings. Luke Jackson gave up five hits and four earned runs without recording an out in the ninth.
ORIOLES 8, PIRATES 6
Gabriel Ynoa went 2 2/3 innings in the start for Baltimore, allowing two earned runs and five hits. Trey Mancini hit his second home run of the spring and Alex Castellanos tripled.
Drew Hutchison worked 3 1/3 innings for Pittsburgh, giving up six runs and seven hits.
ASTROS (ss) 6, RED SOX 2
Houston’s Brad Peacock gave up four hits and a run in a three-inning start. Evan Gattis doubled and singled for the Astros.
Eduardo Rodriguez struck out six over four innings, allowing just two hits and walking three. Joe Kelly took the loss in relief, giving up two runs and two hits.
TWINS 4, RAYS 2
Phil Hughes, healthy after two injury-plagued seasons, threw five shutout innings, giving up two hits while fanning four. Jorge Polanco and Brian Dozier both homered.
Erasmo Ramirez gave up two earned runs on one hit in his two-inning start for the Rays. Mallex Smith stole two bases and was thrown out trying to steal a third.
BLUE JAYS 7, PHILLIES 5
Toronto starter Marco Estrada went 3 2/3 innings, giving up a three-run homer to Howie Kendrick. Outfield prospect Darrell Ceciliani homered, tripled and drove in five runs for the Blue Jays.
Aaron Nola went 4 2/3 innings for Philadelphia, allowing four runs on four hits, walking four and striking out four. Aaron Altherr homered.
NATIONALS 5, MARLINS 5, 9 INNINGS
Washington pitching prospect Erick Fedde didn’t make it out of the second inning, giving up five runs on four hits and three walks in 1 2/3 innings.
Miami’s Scott Copeland gave up a hit in his three-inning start. Marcell Ozuna hit his third homer of the spring.
METS 16, CARDINALS 2
Mets starter Steven Matz went 3 2/3 innings, allowing two hits and an earned run while walking three and striking out three. Wilmer Flores homered, doubled and drove in six runs. Curtis Granderson and Lucas Duda both doubled.
Adam Wainwright was tagged for 10 runs on seven hits and four walks in 1 2/3 innings.
CUBS 7, WHITE SOX 2
Kyle Schwarber homered off White Sox newcomer Derek Holland, singled and drove in four runs from the Cubs’ leadoff spot. Kris Bryant drove in two runs, Anthony Rizzo doubled.
Holland gave up six runs on four hits and three walks in his four-inning start. Cubs reliever Koji Uehara gave up one run and three hits in one innings.
DIAMONDBACKS (ss) 3, A’S 2
Arizona starter Archie Bradley worked five innings, allowing one run on five hits. Brandon Drury tripled, doubled and singled for his third consecutive multihit game.
Ryon Healy connected off Bradley for his fourth spring homer.
ROYALS 8, BREWERS 5
Nathan Karns, acquired from the Mariners in a trade for Jarrod Dyson, pitched four innings and gave up three runs on seven hits. Christian Colon homered and Alex Gordon had two hits and two RBIs.
Ryan Braun hit his first spring homer for Milwaukee. Jimmy Nelson worked into the fourth inning, giving up five runs on six hits, but striking out six.
RANGERS (ss) 6 ANGELS 5
James Loney hit his first homer of the spring and drove in two runs for Texas. Elvis Andrus, who had surgery in November to repair a sports hernia, went 0 for 3 – dropping his average to .182 this spring.
Alex Meyer gave up one run on four hits and one walk over three innings in the start for the Angels.
MARINERS (ss) 9, DIAMONDBACKS (ss) 5
Yovani Gallardo pitched 4 1/3 innings in the start for the Mariners, allowing two runs on four hits with three walks. Ryan Casteel homered and Kyle Seager hit his third double.
Shelby Miller worked 3 1/3 in the start for the Diamondbacks, giving up one run on three hits and striking out eight. Gregor Blanco went 2 for 3 and scored twice.
INDIANS (ss) 3, RANGERS (ss) 2
Cleveland’s Danny Salazar continued his strong spring performance, giving up two runs on four hits and two walks while striking out nine over five innings. Lonnie Chisenhall and Abraham Almonte hit back-to-back solo shots in the first inning and Erik Kratz led off the second with a homer. Shawn Armstrong, who is competing for a spot in Cleveland’s bullpen, struck out two in one scoreless inning of work. He has allowed four hits and two walks with eight strikeouts in 7 1/3 innings this spring.
A.J. Griffin allowed just three hits – although they were all homeruns – and walked none over five innings. Nomar Mazara and Mike Napoli had back-to-back, two-doubles in the third inning.
REDS 7, INDIANS (ss) 3
Brandon Finnegan was roughed up for his third consecutive start, allowing three runs over four innings and bringing his ERA to 7.94 this spring for Cincinnati. Chad Wallach’s two-run double sparked a five-run seventh inning for the Reds, and Desmond Jennings added an RBI triple. Joey Votto has one hit in his last 14 at-bats and is hitting .167 this spring.
Corey Kluber gave up two runs with six strikeouts in five innings for the Indians. Austin Jackson had his second consecutive multihit game, going 2 for 3 with an RBI. Top prospect Bradley Zimmer had two hits and is hitting .372 this spring.
ROCKIES 5, GIANTS 1
Matt Cain allowed three runs and nine hits while striking out five over 4 2/3 innings for San Francisco. Cain, a three-time All-Star fighting for the fifth spot in San Francisco’s rotation, has allowed at least one run in each of his five appearances and has an 8.40 ERA this spring.
Harrison Musgrave allowed just one hit and struck out two over three scoreless innings in his first start of the spring for Colorado. Stephen Cardullo had two hits, including an RBI double. The non-roster invitee is hitting .364, and his 12 RBIs are tied for fourth in MLB this spring.
MARINERS (ss) 5, DODGERS (ss) 2
Ariel Miranda allowed two runs with four strikeouts over three innings and prospect Max Povse threw four scoreless innings for the Mariners. Povse hasn’t allowed a run and has given up just three hits – all on Friday night – with seven strikeouts in 10 innings this spring. Tyler O’Neill smacked a two-run homer, his first of the spring, and Leonys Martin led off the fifth with a solo shot.
Clayton Kershaw allowed four runs on six hits and two walks with eight strikeouts over five innings for the Dodgers. Yasiel Puig had two hits and a stolen base, and Franklin Gutierrez had a two-run single in the third inning.
PADRES 3, DODGERS (ss) 2
Alex Wood struck out five while allowing one run over 4 1/3 innings for Los Angeles, and Joc Pederson hit a solo home run. The Dodgers committed two errors, allowing Peter Van Gansen to score a game-ending run in the ninth.
Walker Lockett went three innings, giving up two runs for the Padres. Christian Friedrich allowed one hit and struck out three over three scoreless innings. Hunter Renfroe had two hits, including a double, and an RBI.