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In a battle of the long ball vs. small ball, the Pittsburgh Pirates picked up a 10-8 victory over the Atlanta Braves on Friday night in Turner Field. 

With the victory, the Pirates won their fourth game in a row. They have also won 12 of their last 14. 

The hot streak has helped Pittsburgh to gain some ground on the St. Louis Cardinals, who still lead the NL Central by six games. 

The pitching for Pittsburgh struggled and sloppy defense resulted in three errors. However, the potent Pirate offense masked the deficiencies for Pittsburgh.

Neil Walker and Starling Marte both blasted homers, leading to five runs. Francisco Cervelli was the star of the evening for Pittsburgh, collecting four hits and driving in two runs of his own. 

For Atlanta, the offense was just as potent. The Braves played their typical brand of small ball to put up eight runs.

The offense just wasn’t enough to overcome a rough outing from the Atlanta bullpen, which gave up six earned runs over the final four innings.

The loss snapped a four-game winning streak for Atlanta, who currently sits in third place in the NL East. 

The second game of the three-game series is scheduled for tomorrow 7:10 p.m. ET. The Pirates try to capture the series win as the Braves look to bounce back at home. 

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The second game of the Toronto Blue Jays’ three-game series with the New York Yankees is underway at the Rogers Centre in Toronto.  

The Blue Jays (13-14) held New York (16-10) to only one run Monday night, just the third time all season they’ve allowed less than two runs in a game. Righty Marco Estrada will make the start after making six appearances out of Toronto’s bullpen. He replaces Daniel Norris in the Blue Jays rotation as they attempt to sort out Major League Baseball’s third-worst ERA.  

The Yankees, meanwhile, will just be happy to face someone other than knuckleballer R.A. Dickey. New York has managed only two runs in 14-plus innings against Dickey this year. It’ll be counting on starter Michael Pineda to keep Toronto’s league-leading offense in check. Pineda is 3-0 on the season with a 3.73 ERA.

Here’s how Toronto and New York will line up for the game, courtesy of each team’s Twitter feed.

We’ll keep you updated right here throughout the game.

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The most recent addition to the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees’ legendary rivalry was one of the more memorable to come along in the last few years, at least for those fans who stuck around to the finish.

The Red Sox pulled out a 6-5 victory that needed 19 innings—or seven hours and five minutes if you’re keeping track—to determine a winner.

Red Sox owner John W. Henry was one of the brave souls who made it all the way through:

Mookie Betts produced the decisive action. Xander Bogaerts singled with one out in the top of the 19th and proceeded to steal second base. A Ryan Hanigan walk put runners on first and second, and they moved up a base after a passed ball charged to Yankees catcher John Ryan Murphy.

That passed ball proved pivotal, as it allowed Bogaerts to score on a sacrifice fly from Betts to shallow center. Steven Wright got the win after pitching five innings in relief.

The Red Sox certainly had no shortage of opportunities to win this game before the 19th. They owned the lead on three different occasions from the ninth inning and beyond but squandered the advantage each time.

The first came in the bottom of the ninth as Edward Mujica attempted to protect a 3-2 lead. Yankees third baseman Chase Headley kept New York alive with a game-tying home run:

The game was prolonged in the 12th inning when a bank of lights at Yankee Stadium went out. A handful of intrepid Yankees fans attempted to remedy the situation with their cellphones, to no avail:

For all intents and purposes, it looked as though David Ortiz decided the game in the top of the 16th with a solo home run to right field off Esmil Rogers.

According to Jon Shestakofsky, the Red Sox’s manager of media relations and baseball information, Big Papi’s homer was historic:

But just when the few fans in Yankee Stadium thought they were close to calling it a night, Mark Teixeira delivered a solo home run of his own to tie the game at 4-4 in the bottom of the 16th.

In the top of the 18th, Pablo Sandoval hit a single to center that scored Dustin Pedroia, giving Boston a 5-4 edge. A key moment during the play was Hanley Ramirez getting thrown out at third. With Ramirez on base, the Red Sox would’ve had runners on first and second and one out. Instead, only Sandoval occupied a base.

His mistake was compounded a half-inning later when Carlos Beltran doubled, plating Murphy. But Wright did a good job of getting out of a jam and stranding Beltran on third to keep the game tied.

The Guardian‘s Hunter Felt wondered if things had gotten to the point, though, where Red Sox fans just wanted it to end one way or another:

At least Boston fans didn’t have to wait much longer for their team to go ahead once again, this time for good.

The Yankees and Red Sox won’t have much time to rest before they’re right back on the field; they play each other Saturday afternoon, with the first pitch scheduled at 1:05 p.m. ET.

For the sake of everybody involved, they’d probably be smart to figure out a victory after nine innings.

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It’s the most wonderful time of the year. Baseball is back.  

The Pittsburgh Pirates opened up their season on Monday with a 5-2 loss to their division rivals, the Cincinnati Reds, at Great American Ballpark in Cincinnati.

Let’s take a look at the three things you need to know following Monday’s opener.  

McCutchen‘s Track Record of Success in Game 1 

Trailing 2-0 with two innings left to play, the Pirates leaned on franchise cornerstone Andrew McCutchen, who knotted the game up at two with his first home run of the season.  

McCutchen is no stranger to hot starts to the season. In six Opening Day starts, the former MVP is 7-for-21 at the plate, which equates to a .333 average. In fact, the only game in which he did not collect a hit in that span was in 2012 against the Philadelphia Phillies, when Roy Halladay shut the Pirates down and the Phillies won 1-0.  

McCutchen had a solid spring training, where he batted .375 in 32 at-bats. However, he failed to hit a home run during that time. Any fears (though there shouldn’t have been any) about his power should have flown out the window faster than his batted ball flew out of the park yesterday.

Watson’s Rough Start to the Season

With the game locked at two runs apiece in the bottom of the eighth inning, Pirates manager Clint Hurdle called on his lockdown setup man Tony Watson.  

Watson has become arguably one of the best relief pitchers in baseball over the past two seasons, and he is coming off a 2014 season in which he went 10-2 with a 1.63 ERA in 78 games.  

What we saw Monday was completely uncharacteristic of Watson, as he was dealt the loss after giving up a three-run home run to Reds third baseman Todd Frazier.  

Watson’s first loss last season did not come until July 11, when he coincidentally gave up three earned runs against the Reds.  

Chalk Monday’s loss up to a rare bad outing by Watson, as there is nothing to worry about yet. Watson had a fantastic spring, yielding just three hits, one walk and zero runs in eight innings pitched.  

Leadoff Walks (Especially to a Pitcher) Loom Large

The Pirates were able to retain ace Francisco Liriano during the 2014-15 free-agency period this winter, and through one start, it is looking like general manager Neal Huntington made the right move.  

Liriano looked shaky early on in the game before settling down for a no-decision and allowing just two earned runs in seven innings pitched.

If there’s one rule to live by as a pitcher, it is this: Never allow the first baserunner to get on in a given inning via a free pass. More importantly, never allow that batter to be the opposing team’s pitcher, who is almost always a sure out.  

However, that is just what Liriano did in the third inning, walking Reds pitcher Johnny Cueto to start the inning. With Billy Hamilton at the plate, Cueto was erased with a force out at second base.  

After a single off the bat of Joey Votto landed runners on the corners with one out, Liriano allowed his first earned run of the season by balking on the mound, which again is a mistake you simply cannot afford to make.  

The disappointing part about Liriano’s shaky third inning is that the next batter struck out, and the batter after that popped out to end the inning. So, without Liriano’s balk, the run never would have scored. More importantly, however, without the leadoff walk, there wouldn’t have been a baserunner to score from third on the balk.  

Overall, it was a solid outing for Liriano, who earned the quality start. The Pirates will need him to perform at that level throughout the season if the team has any real visions of winning the National League Central Division.

Over a 162-game schedule, one loss is not going to hurt the Pirates. There were a lot of positives to take from the opener, and although Watson was dealt a rare loss, it doesn’t look like it is going to be the new trend for him this season.  

Pittsburgh has the day off and will resume play tomorrow night in Cincinnati at 7:05 p.m. EDT. Gerrit Cole will get the nod for the Pirates as they look to bounce back and erase the zero from the wins column.  

Statistics courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com.

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Sports are filled with over-the-top cliches and metaphors, but there is truly something beautiful about the ones that apply on MLB’s Opening Day.

It really is the unofficial start of the spring and summer seasons, as the dreary, cold winter nights transform into the sun-soaked afternoons at ballparks across the country. Shoveled driveways and salted roads fade away, and in their place come freshly cut green grass and seven-dollar hot dogs that taste like the first day of summer freedom after a long school year.

Hope springs anew with every 0-0 record, and even long-suffering Chicago Cubs fans see their team with the same record as everyone else.

Of course, the Cubs being the Cubs, they started the year off with a Sunday night loss to the St. Louis Cardinals the day before the rest of the league started the 2015 season.

Here is a look at all of Monday’s scores as well as some reaction from the turning points of another Opening Day in baseball.

Recap

The New York Yankees and Toronto Blue Jays kicked off the action Monday in the Bronx, and things did not go according to plan for those in pinstripes.

The Blue Jays won 6-1 behind a home run from Edwin Encarnacion and timely pitching. Toronto chased New York starter Masahiro Tanaka after only four innings, which prompted this response from Yankees coach Joe Girardi, per Mark Feinsand of the New York Daily News:

The other big story from this game was the return of Alex Rodriguez from his 2014 suspension for performance-enhancing drugs. Rodriguez won’t receive much of a warm welcome from opposing crowds this year, but Andrew Marchand of ESPNNewYork.com noted that the New York faithful showed their appreciation:

Elsewhere in the American League, the Detroit Tigers knocked off their division rival Minnesota Twins 4-0. David Price pitched a gem and didn’t allow a run in 8.2 innings of work, and J.D. Martinez drilled a crucial home run.

ESPN Stats & Info noted that this wasn’t the first time a Detroit ace made headlines with an excellent performance on Opening Day: 

In the National League, the Colorado Rockies looked dominant against the Milwaukee Brewers and won 10-0. Milwaukee pitcher Kyle Lohse was rocked for eight earned runs in 3.1 innings, but Andrew Gruman of Fox Sports Wisconsin noted that the fans had more important things on their minds:

The Twins and Brewers weren’t the only teams blanked Monday, as the Boston Red Sox shut out the Philadelphia Phillies to the tune of 8-0. Clay Buchholz pitched seven innings of brilliant baseball, while new Red Sox Hanley Ramirez drilled two home runs, including a ninth-inning grand slam.

MLB provided a highlight of Ramirez’s game-breaker, while John Tomase of WEEI.com passed along a quote from pitcher Justin Masterson regarding the preseason concern that Boston didn’t have an ace in the rotation:

Boston wasn’t the only American League East team to impress Monday, as the Baltimore Orioles handled the Tampa Bay Rays, 6-2. Alejandro De Aza spearheaded the offensive attack with a two-run homer in the fifth inning.

Steve Melewski of MASNsports.com noted that De Aza was doing his job as a leadoff hitter throughout the game: 

In the National League East, the New York Mets outlasted the Washington Nationals 3-1 behind six innings of one-run baseball from pitcher Bartolo Colon. Chuck Garfien of Comcast Sportsnet Chicago commented on Colon’s performance:

Elsewhere in the division, the Atlanta Braves knocked off the Miami Marlins 2-1. New closer Jason Grilli picked up the save a day after superstar Craig Kimbrel was traded to the San Diego Padres. Jayson Stark of ESPN provided a ray of hope for Atlanta fans:

The defending American League champion Kansas City Royals kicked off their 2015 campaign in style with a 10-1 victory over the Chicago White Sox. Alex Rios drilled a three-run homer during the course of a five-run seventh inning and broke the game open.

Doug Padilla of ESPNChicago.com noted that Chicago fans were probably familiar with that, while Blair Kerkhoff of The Kansas City Star pointed out that Rios’ bat will be a major boost in the Kansas City lineup in 2015 compared to last year’s outfield:

It was a pitcher’s duel out west, as the Seattle Mariners handled the Los Angeles Angels to the tune of 4-1. Felix Hernandez was his typical brilliant self with seven innings of one-run and two-hit baseball from the mound. ESPN Stats & Info pointed out that Hernandez is among some impressive company when it comes to Opening Day performances:

The Mariners and Angels game wasn’t the only one that was dominated by pitchers. 

Defending American League Cy Young Award winner, Corey Kluber, only allowed three hits in 7.1 innings for the Cleveland Indians, but he was only the second-best pitcher on the field in his team’s 2-0 loss to the Houston Astros. Dallas Keuchel turned in a gem with seven shutout innings and inspired some confidence from Matthew Pouliot of RotoWorld.com:

In the National League Central, the Cincinnati Reds beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 5-2 in a thrilling back-and-forth contest. The Reds held a 2-0 lead after Johnny Cueto turned in seven shutout innings, but Andrew McCutchen tied the game in the top of the eighth with a two-run homer off of Kevin Gregg. 

Todd Frazier then virtually won it for the Reds with a three-run homer of his own in the bottom of the eighth.

Jon Tayler of Sports Illustrated commented on the McCutchen moment, while Stephen J. Nesbitt of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette pointed out that Frazier was excellent all over the field:

Perhaps the most thrilling game of the day was the Los Angeles Dodgers’ 6-3 win over the San Diego Padres. Jimmy Rollins hit the decisive three-run homer for the Dodgers in the eighth, and ESPN Stats & Info noted that Rollins is historically excellent on Opening Day:

As for the Padres, Derek Togerson of NBC 7 in San Diego offered some encouragement for San Diego fans after the disheartening loss:

Baseball is a 162-game season, and the result from just one game is nowhere near as important as it is in fellow sports like football, even if it feels that way on Opening Day.

Still, the victory for the Dodgers was notable because the National League West figures to be one of the tightest races in the entire league. The defending World Series champion San Francisco Giants are back to defend their crown, the Dodgers have a litany of superstars with their high payroll, and the Padres made a number of impressive moves this offseason to bolster their chances.

Even one head-to-head victory for the Dodgers against the Padres will help set the tempo in the division. San Diego has plenty of talent, but it hasn’t challenged for the playoffs since a solid 2010 campaign. A slow start could be problematic for the team’s confidence.

Meanwhile, the Giants got their title defense off to a strong start. They beat the Arizona Diamondbacks 5-4, largely on the strength of a four-run fifth inning. Angel Pagan and Buster Posey both picked up RBIs, and Brandon Crawford delivered a two-run double to put an exclamation point on the scoring.

Arizona made it interesting in the bottom of the eighth. With the bases loaded, Jake Lamb hit a three-run double to put the Diamondbacks within a run. Tuffy Gosewisch and David Peralta struck out to end the inning and remove the threat for San Francisco.

Santiago Casilla shut the door in the ninth inning.

Staying on the West Coast, Sonny Gray was almost quite literally unhittable against the Texas Rangers Monday night. Gray held the Texas without a hit through the first seven innings, with Ryan Rua starting off the eighth with a single, breaking up the no-no.

Gray pitched eight innings in the Oakland Athletics’ 8-0, with Rua’s hit the lone blemish on his night. According to MLB.com’s Andrew Simon, nobody has throwing eight or more innings of one-hit ball since 1953:

Ben Zobrist certainly had a strong A’s debut. In his first at-bat of the game, he hit a two-run home run in the first inning to put Oakland ahead 2-0. Stephen Vogt was also big in the win, with his three-run homer in the seventh inning really putting the game out of reach for Texas.

Sporting News‘ Jesse Spector felt sorry for Rangers fans, who barely had time to get comfy for Opening Day before Zobrist’s blast set in motion a series of unfortunate events for Texas:

The Rangers don’t project to be as bad this year as they were in 2014, in part because they shouldn’t be hammered by injuries. However, they don’t look to have the pieces necessary to compete for an AL West crown.

Meanwhile, the A’s will be one of the more interesting teams to watch in the division. Oakland shocked quite a few fans when it dealt Jeff Samardzija and Josh Donaldson, but Billy Beane has a well-earned reputation for turning nothing into something.

The A’s might not be World Series contenders in 2015, but they might provide a few surprises.

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The long wait is finally over. Baseball has returned to our lives, with Monday marking Opening Day for the 2015 season.

After spending months away from the diamond, fans stayed glued to every pitch and inning from Monday’s action. Everyone flocked to ballparks across the country to watch baseball on a gorgeous day. As one student proved, per MLB.com’s Twitter account, baseball trumps education:

They were treated to some offensive outbursts, pitching gems and exciting plays. For those who missed the madness, here’s a rundown of Opening Day’s most memorable moments.

Alex Rodriguez Returns

Receiving a warm welcome after a season-long suspension, Alex Rodriguez reached base twice during his first game since September 2013. WFAN’s Sweeny Murti captured his pregame introduction:

The 39-year-old was even embraced in Yankee Stadium’s traditional roll call despite serving as the designated hitter. From the dugout railing, Rodriguez tipped his cap to the surprisingly forgiving Bleacher Creatures. 

“I do appreciate the reception,” Rodriguez said after the game, via Wallace Matthews of ESPNNewYork.com. “I have to admit, it definitely felt good, that’s for sure. I’ve got a long history here. I think about 2009 and some of the things we accomplished together. I have a lot of love for the city of New York, especially our fans. But let’s make it clear: The fans don’t owe me anything.”

Once baseball’s brightest star before becoming a social pariah for his use of performance-enhancing drugs, Rodriguez was not given star treatment by manager Joe Girardi. ESPN Stats & Info put his lineup positioning into perspective:

Those cheers will only get louder if he performs this well. A-Rod drew a walk in his first plate appearance and sprayed a single into the outfield. In his third at-bat, he lined out to right field. Overall, Rodriguez and the Yankees should be thrilled by his productive return, even though Masahiro Tanaka and Co. didn’t enjoy as encouraging of a day during a 6-1 loss to the Toronto Blue Jays.

David Price is Right

David Price opened the year in midseason form, hurling 8.2 shutout innings versus the Minnesota Twins. He allowed five hits—all singles—and tallied five strikeouts and zero walks through an economical 101 pitches. 

The Detroit Tigers southpaw received some help from new teammate Yoenis Cespedes, who robbed Kurt Suzuki during the third inning. Here’s a look at the outfield thievery, courtesy of the team’s Twitter page:

Last season, Price recovered from a rough patch to finish with a 3.26 ERA and career-high 271 strikeouts. His 2.78 fielder independent pitching represented the best clip of his successful career, according to FanGraphs. ESPN’s Tristan H. Cockcroft chronicled Price’s unheralded dominance:

With some better fortune, Price will challenge the American League’s ilk of aces for Cy Young billing.

Rockies Ravage Brewers

No Coors Field, no problem. Without their precious home-field offensive advantage, the Colorado Rockies steamrolled Kyle Lohse for eight runs during a 10-0 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers.

Colorado compiled all 10 runs through the first four innings, knocking Lohse out after 3.1 frames. Troy Tulowitzki, a top National League MVP candidate before undergoing season-ending hip surgery last year, collected three hits in his first three at-bats.

The day’s big winner, however, was Nolan Arenado. The young third baseman went 3-for-4 with four RBI, including a two-run homer off of Lohse. Colorado’s Twitter page provided footage of the blast:

An .896 OPS after last season’s All-Star break already generated ample buzz for Arenado entering 2015. Now, the 23-year-old has fans and fantasy owners salivating in hopes of his monster Monday foreshadowing a breakout season.

Speaking of fantasy gamers, everyone expecting a big game from the Brewers’ bats instead watched unlikely Opening Day starter Kyle Kendrick stymie them through seven scoreless innings. Courtesy of WFAN’s Joe Giglio, the veteran made a fool out of Carlos Gomez:

In case anyone had forgotten, baseball is weird sometimes.  

Red Sox Hit Five Homers

Since the Boston Red Sox couldn’t orchestrate an offseason trade for Philadelphia Phillies ace Cole Hamels, they simply beat him instead. They earned an 8-0 victory on the strength of five homers.

Dustin Pedroia, who hit seven deep flies last season with a career-low .376 slugging percentage, sent two solo shots over Citizen Bank Park’s shallow fence. Boston’s Twitter feed gives a look at his vintage hearty hack:

Along with Pedroia’s two dingers, free-agent signee Hanley Ramirez hit another pair, including a ninth-inning grand slam off of Jake Diekman. So far, so good for Boston’s new left fielder:

Breakout candidate Mookie Betts also delivered a solo blast. Grantland’s Bill Simmons is hopeful this Mookie won’t cause the Boston faithful more heartbreak:

The lineup spawned grand expectations during the preseason, but Boston’s rotation was met with skepticism. Clay Buchholz, however, recorded nine strikeouts during seven scoreless innings. If he reverts to the useful starter of old, the Red Sox are on the path to another last-to-first jump in the American League East.

Dodgers Fend off Padres

The new-look San Diego Padres fell short of making a major statement against the Los Angeles Dodgers. After scoring three runs off of Clayton Kershaw, their bullpen coughed up four runs to suffer a 6-3 loss.

Facing the team that sent him San Diego’s way, Matt Kemp drove in all three runs. As Bleacher Report’s Scott Miller observed, the Dodger Stadium crowd eventually came around to cheer his first at-bat after some reluctance:

In his first plate appearance for the Padres, Kemp brought home fellow newcomer Wil Myers. San Diego’s Twitter account showcased the promising start:

James Shields introduced himself by surrendering two runs through six innings with eight strikeouts. Nick Vincent, however, squandered his potential victory during the seventh, sending the game into a 3-3 stalemate. Then Jimmy Rollins, playing the first game of his career in a non-Phillies uniform, went yard off Shawn Kelley with a go-ahead three-run bomb.

Both the Dodgers and Padres retooled, but the reigning NL West champions still wield a more complete club.

Mike Trout, Bryce Harper Shine

Yep, didn’t take long for Mike Trout to begin his AL MVP defense. The Los Angeles Angels superstar began 2015 the exact way he kicked off 2014, taking Felix Hernandez deep during his first at-bat. Per MLB:

He later decided only he can hit home runs, reaching over the wall to rob Logan Morrison. Justin Russo of Clips Nation offered a glimpse of Trout’s first 2015 Web Gem:

The Angels, however, suffered a 4-1 loss to the Seattle Mariners. After the Trout homer, Hernandez yielded just one other hit through seven stellar frames. Two of baseball’s elite teams will provide a thrilling AL West race that could quickly evolve into baseball’s best new rivalry.

Once upon a time, Trout vs. Bryce Harper was a popular discussion among MLB fans hungry to create a Magic Johnson vs. Larry Bird-type feud. Only 22 with a career .816 OPS entering Opening Day, it’s still not far-fetched for Harper to supplement Trout as the National League’s MVP.

He also opened the season strong, hitting a solo blast off the New York Mets’ Bartolo Colon. Harper celebrated by flipping his luscious locks, courtesy of MLB GIFs:

Harper’s Washington Nationals were also on the wrong end of the box score, falling 3-1. Six strong innings from Colon and two Ian Desmond errors spoiled Max Scherzer’s team debut.

One of these years, the most hyped hitting prospect in quite some time is going to go bonkers. His walk-up music, as The Washington Post‘s James Wagner pointed out, says it all:

Trout and Harper went tit for tat in their season openers. Both young stars will grace us with their auras for several more Opening Days to come.

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New York Yankees star pitcher Masahiro Tanaka took the mound on Thursday for his debut spring training start against the Atlanta Braves and was quite effective in limited action.

Tanaka retired the side in two perfect innings, striking out two batters and flashing dominant form in an encouraging outing at George M. Steinbrenner Field in Tampa, Florida.

Jon Morosi of Fox Sports 1 noticed that Tanaka was generating exceptional velocity on his fastball in the early going:

The split-finger pitch that has garnered considerable hype helped Tanaka record one of his punchouts, which Morosi also made note of:

Bleacher Report MLB Lead Writer Zachary D. Rymer observed how Tanaka seldom missed a pitch during his two frames on the bump:

Yankees manager Joe Girardi weighed in after Tanaka’s evening was finished, via MLB.com’s Bryan Hoch:

I’ve seen him throw his sides, I haven’t seen him protect anything. I saw him throw last year and didn’t really think that he protected anything. My antenna is up every time a pitcher goes out there; you’re paying close attention to make sure you don’t see something they do different. There’s a lot of times that I’ll see someone say, “Uh-oh.” But I have a good feeling about it.

Girardi has reason to feel good based on the stuff Tanaka strutted, not least of which was this highlight from the Yankees’ official Twitter account:

A lingering talking point is Tanaka’s health, because the 26-year-old suffered a partially torn right UCL in July 2014. It’s an injury that can lead to Tommy John surgery, a procedure that would keep Tanaka off the field for at least a year if not more.

The following update from ESPN’s Stephania Bell paints an even better picture of where Tanaka is:

Thursday’s appearance revealed Tanaka not holding anything back—and assessment Girardi corroborated—and showing off the ability that helped him to a stellar 13-5 record with a 2.77 ERA in 20 starts last year.

The Japanese sensation recorded a 3.3 WAR in his first taste of Major League Baseball, per Baseball-Reference.com. New York will need that type of performance from Tanaka in 2015 if it means to reverse the trend of missing the playoffs, as has been the case the past two seasons.

If CC Sabathia can return to form and Tanaka remains healthy, the two could form quite a tandem to spark a Yankees rotation that ranked 21st in quality starts in 2014.

Tanaka has the tools to shine in his second season in the pinstripes, so Bronx Bomber fans have to be pleased with how his first spring training game unfolded and how it pertains to the future.

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The MLB All-Stars looked as though they just wanted to get this series over with as they crashed to a third defeat in a row against the Samurai Japan. A pitching shutout sparked the 4-0 rout for the hosts in the Tokyo dome.

The most impressive pitcher was undoubtedly Takahiro Norimoto. He didn’t allow himself to be even remotely intimidated by his more illustrious opponents.

Norimoto’s numbers from the mound were spectacular, per the MLB official Twitter account:

Norimoto was part of a quartet of Samurai pitchers who no-hit the All-Star side:

He sent six All-Stars batters back to the bench with strikeouts. Had he not been pulled early, Norimoto’s numbers would have been even more eye-popping:

Ultimately, Japan would strike out 13 big leaguers in the game, continuing the All-Stars’ offensive woes in the series. 

Augmenting the excellent work from the mound, the Samurai received able batting work from the likes of Sho Nakata. He swung smartly from the plate to earn runs at key times, including a two-run homer.

Hayato Sakamoto hit a two-run homer to account for the rest of the scoring. Both of those home runs came off the pitches of Kansas City Royals ace Jeremy Guthrie. If only the All-Stars had the likes of Norimoto launching pitches, things might have turned out differently. 

Instead, the frustration simply continued to build for the men from the Majors. It wasn’t just Norimoto causing bats to be flung to the dirt in disgust, relief pitcher Yuki Nishi was also a thorn in the All-Stars’ side.

The right-hander sent four back to the dugout without a run. But it wasn’t just stingy pitching that kept the All-Stars in check.

The Samurai’s fielding was expert. Every infielder was quick off the mark and made the right decisions with no wasted motion, to ensure the All-Stars remained scoreless:

Little respite appears in store for the All-Stars unless the MLB regulars can solve their problems with the bat. If not, then a series already dominated by Japan’s national team will become an embarrassment for the men from the big leagues.

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Samurai Japan took a commanding 2-0 series lead with an 8-4 win over the MLB All-Stars at the Tokyo Dome on Friday, continuing their dominance in Game 2 of the 2014 best-of-five Japan Series.

Friday’s contest was nothing like Game 1, with runs scored early and often. Seattle Mariners’ Hisashi Iwakuma was probably expecting a different outcome in his return to his native Japan, as he told MLB.com’s Joey Nowak how happy he was to be playing before the contest:

“I feel very honored. I was really looking forward to coming back here as a pitcher for the American team, so I’m very happy for that.”

MLB Network shared the starting lineup for the MLB All-Stars:

Fans expecting a pitching battle similar to Game 1 were in for a rude shock in the second inning, with the hosts cracking the contest wide open by scoring the first three runs.

With two outs and the bases loaded, Yuki Yanagita hit a massive triple toward centre field off Hisashi Iwakuma, displaying some impressive speed by making it to third base in the process.

The MLB All-Stars had gone 11 innings without a run until that point but quickly hit back through Justin Moreau, who went yard on a full count to announce the arrival of the visitors in a big way.

MLB Gifs has footage of the two-run home run:

Both starting pitchers continued to struggle: Ben Zobrist hit a triple off Chihiro Kaneko before scoring on a ground out by Jose Altuve, tying things up in the bottom of the third.

Samurai Japan immediately reclaimed the lead with two runs in the fourth, however, and once again both runs came with two outs on the board.

MLB Gifs were busy admiring Iwakuma’s impressive drop when the hosts struck:

Yanagita once again started things with a single that drove in Nobuhiro Matsuda before Ryosuke Kikushi drove in Hikaru Itoh, ending Iwakuma’s day.

The Seattle Times‘ Ryan Divish shared the Seattle Mariners’ less-than-impressive statistics:

The hosts increased their lead in the sixth inning, with Yanagita finally getting a deserved run. The speedster stole second before a wild pitch from Rob Wooten saw him advance to third, and a single from Kikuchi was enough to make the score 6-3.

With speed to boot, the Japan Times‘ Jason Coskrey couldn’t help but notice Yagitani took a liberal approach to baserunning:

Matsuda added a home run on a fly ball at the top of the eighth, hitting it deep to left field. Itoh added another on a double from Yanagita that saw the 26-year-old advance to third base thank to an error from Dexter Fowler, but Jose Veras stepped in and recorded the last two outs to stop the hosts from piling on even more runs.

Zobrist pulled one back in the bottom of the eighth, dashing home after a Robinson Cano single, but the match appeared to be well over by that point. Fowler struck out swinging to provide Game 2 with a fitting end.

Yanagita was the standout performer for the hosts, recording four RBi’s, three hits and a run in four appearances at the plate and dispelling any notions Japan could only win games through their pitching.

Los Angeles Dodgers star Yasiel Puig was walked twice in two appearances and didn’t make a big impact fielding, as the MLB All-Stars were simply blown out on Friday. Down 2-0 in the series and with Iwakuma and Tsuyoshi Wada both struggling tremendously, the team is in dire need of answers heading into Game 3 on Saturday, also at the Tokyo Dome.

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For the second time this World Series, the Kansas City Royals’ bats awoke from a Madison Bumgarner-induced slumber in impressive fashion.

Revitalized by a return home to Kauffman Stadium, Ned Yost’s squad scored seven runs in the second inning and cruised to a 10-0 win over the San Francisco Giants, forcing a decisive Game 7 on Wednesday night.

As the Royals have proved all season, it doesn’t take immense power to produce this kind of offensive outburst. They hit just one solo home run in the seventh but relentlessly bombarded San Francisco with six doubles and a total of 15 hits, joining the 2001 Arizona Diamondbacks in the World Series record book by the third inning:

That meant rookie Yordano Ventura had the rare experience of pitching in a do-or-die game with essentially no pressure. Spotted the early seven-run advantage, the 23-year-old tossed seven scoreless innings, striking out four and allowing just three hits.

Yahoo Sports’ Jeff Passan and Ace of MLB Stats put the excellent performance into historical perspective:

The Royals, who entered Game 6 scoreless in their previous 15 innings, didn’t take long to rediscover their form at the plate. After threatening in the first, they knocked around veteran starter Jake Peavy and Game 4 hero Yusmeiro Petit for eight hits and three doubles in the second.

Eleven players ultimately came to the plate, and seven crossed it. MLB’s Twitter feed provided a glimpse of the seemingly endless onslaught of base knocks:

Peavy’s night was done after just 1.1 innings. He gave up six hits, one walk and five earned runs, putting an end to a forgettable postseason and World Series for him.

It puts the former Cy Young winner in embarrassing company, per ESPN’s Buster Olney:

Of course, the painfully ineffective outing was nothing new for Giants starters not named Madison this series. The San Francisco Chronicle‘s Henry Schulman highlighted just how much Bruce Bochy has missed Matt Cain:

The night wouldn’t be complete without a home run allowed by Hunter Strickland. Mike Moustakas took the struggling reliever deep in the bottom of the seventh, pushing the Royals’ lead to 10-0.

Strickland pitched seven scoreless innings in the regular season, but the rookie has absolutely crumbled in October. He has now surrendered six home runs in the postseason, including two in the World Series, leading to these shameful stats from Sports Illustrated‘s Joe Sheehan and Baseball Prospectus‘ Sam Miller:

Fortunately for the Giants, the slate is wiped clean in Game 7. Unfortunately, history hasn’t been kind to teams in their position, per MLB.com’s Alden Gonzalez and Sportsnet radio host Tim Micallef:

The Royals will turn to Jeremy Guthrie in an attempt to continue that trend, while Bochy will hand the ball to Tim Hudson, with Bumgarner a serious early option out of the bullpen should things even slightly go awry. 

Whether it’s ultimately Kansas City ending a 29-year drought or San Francisco making it three titles in five years, we are now less than 24 hours away from one of the greatest things in sports: a Game 7 to determine the champion. 

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