Yankees’ Masahiro Tanaka suffers first home loss of season in 8-0 loss to Orioles

By Jack Crosby | Jun 22, 2014

Jun 22, 2014; Bronx, NY, USA; New York Yankees starting pitcher Masahiro Tanaka (19) pitches during the first inning against the Baltimore Orioles at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Anthony Gruppuso-USA TODAY Sports /

Prized offseason pitching acquisition Masahiro Tanaka has been everything the New York Yankees could have asked for in his first season with the team in 2014. Coming into Sunday, late in this month of June, Tanaka has been so good that not only had he only suffered one loss on the year, he still had yet to lose within the confines of Yankee Stadium.

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Well, that all changed on Sunday in the Bronx as Tanaka suffered that inevitable first home loss, and 8-0 drubbing by the AL East rival Baltimore Orioles.

All things considered, it wasn’t a disastrous outing from the Japanese import, but he was just ineffective enough to suffer that first home loss. Tanaka went seven innings, giving up six hits with one walk while striking out six. He also gave up three earned runs, including a home run off the bat of the Orioles’ Jonathan Schoop in the second inning.

Tanaka was pulled by manager Joe Girardi following the seventh inning, down 3-0, and things did not get much better from there as the Orioles would add four runs in the eighth, and one more in the ninth for some insurance and the dominating win.

The Yankees’ pitcher now falls to 11-2 on the season with the loss and the Yankees are currently 1.5 games out of first place in the division behind the Toronto Blue Jays, and they are tied with the same Orioles team that defeated them today.