The New York Yankees are currently tied for first place in the American League East with the Baltimore Orioles with 19 victories. One of the biggest reasons the Yankees are still contending for the division crown and a possible American League Pennant is rookie pitcher Masahiro Tanaka.

On Friday, May 9, Tanaka pitched his seventh game of the year. In a successful outing, Tanaka defeated the Milwaukee Brewers to improve to 5-0 on the season.

Against the Brewers, Tanaka pitched 6.1 innings before being relieved by manager Joe Girardi. In those six innings pitched, Tanaka allowed just two earned runs, zero home runs and struck out seven batters. This is the second time Tanaka has not allowed a home run. Tanaka did however allow seven hits but only allowed two runners to score. Tanaka is a tactician at the mound. He's not a Nolan Ryan or Randy Johnson type pitcher that will throw heat with few hits allowed. Tanaka is comparable to Tim Hudson or Greg Maddux because he beats you with his head and forced you to groundout.

Tanaka might allow hits, but he doesn't allow runs. That's all that matters in the end.

On the season, Tanaka has been nothing short of brilliant. Especially when you take into account this is his first season pitching in the big leagues and he his pitching under the brightest lights in sports. In Tanaka's seven starts, he is 5-0 with two no decisions. In those seven starts, Tanaka has pitched 49 innings and only allowed 14 earned runs, which equate to a 2.57 earned runs against average. The most impressive statistic so far may be Tanaka's strikeout-to-walk ratio. Tanaka has struck out 58 batters and walked just 8, accumulating an incredible 7-1 K-BB ratio. Those are video game numbers.

An eye popping stat that sticks out with Tanaka through seven starts is his home runs and walks allowed. Tanaka has allowed both seven home runs and seven walks in seven games. Now you can look at that glass half full and think that's so few walks allowed or glass half empty and think that's a lot of home runs allowed. Seven homers allowed through seven starts isn't a lot, but it does show that the majority of runs Tanaka allows are by home runs.

On Friday night, Tanaka did see playing time at the plate for the first time. Tanaka took to the plate three times as a batter and unfortunately for him was 0-3 with three strikeouts. There's no doubt Tanaka was born to pitch, not hit.

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