Palladino: Girardi Must Make Sure That Tanaka Is Rested, Ready For Wild-Card Game
By Ernie Palladino
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What a few days its been in New York sports.
The Mets are basking in a double-digit division lead, and on Tuesday they recorded their 16th comeback victory since the dawning of the Cespedian Age. On Sunday, Todd Bowles toasted his maiden victory and Eli Manning reacquainted himself with the NFL's timeout limits.
And as for the Yankees, they can start thinking about the postseason.
Particularly as far as their pitching goes.
Mind you, this does not have to be a far-reaching plan. Not now, anyway. Though just three games behind the Blue Jays after losing on Tuesday night, that gap still seems about as close as Utah looks from the Arizona rim of the Grand Canyon.
The same could have been said of the Mets a few weeks ago, of course. But they have become another story. So the Yanks are alone with their problems, not the least of which is a shaky rotation. If those issues persist over the next couple of weeks, Joe Girardi will have no choice but to engage in that one-game wild-card playoff where anything goes.
In fact, with the way Toronto has played of late, he might as well give up on any division title dreams and start planning. And that means he'll have to set up his single starter to throw that game.
In other words, he'll have to make sure Masahiro Tanaka is ready and rested.
It's not like Girardi has a million options here. He doesn't really have four, given how the rest of the rotation has fared over the long haul. The list of exactly who the manager should trust in a win-or-go-home playoff is a short one, and that observation comes despite CC Sabathia's no-run, three-hit outing over 6 2/3 innings Monday. Sabathia has shown himself as nothing but inconsistent, a shadow of the once-commanding Cy Young winner who overpowered hitters as an Indian.
There was a time where a manager would have put his career in Sabathia's left arm. But that was a long time ago. In his new incarnation, Girardi is better off bringing him out of the bullpen for one or two power innings.
Tanaka, however, appears to have what it takes to get the Yanks into an ALDS. His 12-6 record -- with a 3.40 ERA -- ranks tops among pinstriped starters. He contributed seven blank innings in Sunday's shutout win over the Blue Jays, their major-league least third such feat of the season.
That came on the heels of an eight-inning, one-run show against Baltimore, perhaps indicating that Tanaka may actually be getting stronger as the regular season winds down.
It's a good thing, but also a situation that could have Girardi on edge. Keeping Tanaka healthy has been a season-long project, and it will have to continue as a major goal. Partially torn ulnar ligaments don't heal, after all. And he did go on the DL with a sore right forearm and wrist near midseason. But as long as Tanaka stays in one piece, at least the Yanks will have one pitcher they can confidently throw out there for one game.
The rest of the rotation shows almost no promise. Michael Pineda, at one time believed to be on the verge of a big season after a 5-0 start, has struggled to 5-8 since. Nathan Eovaldi's elbow problems that will probably keep him out until the playoffs eliminates him, since a wild-card game is no place to make a return from the DL.
Luis Severino has been impressive with a 3-3 record and a 3.35 ERA -- despite his latest six-run pounding -- but he's still a kid. The last thing any manager would do is throw a young rookie into a one-game lion's den, no matter how poised he appears.
Ivan Nova has been struggling in his comeback year from Tommy John surgery.
Adam Warren? Not really an option.
Tanaka is really the only choice here. And Girardi needs to do all he can to make sure his ace is healthy and ready, whether that means an extra day or a skipped start.
Girardi is reluctant to even think about setting up Tanaka for a wild-card game. His eyes are still trained on the division title. But he must at least consider the consolation prize.
His only realistic one lies with the Japanese right-hander.
