ST. PETERSBURG -- Masahiro Tanaka scrambled off the mound and darted directly toward the runner between second and third bases, undeterred by Steve Pearce's desperate dekes as he slapped a tag on the Rays' designated hitter, ripping his execution directly from the fundamental playbook.
Tanaka impressed the Yankees with his agility on an unassisted fifth-inning putout, but as he picked up the win in a 4-1 victory over the Rays at Tropicana Field, they considered all 21 of the right-hander's outs from Friday's effort to be equally splendid.
"I think it's important as a pitcher to be able to field good, as well," Tanaka said through an interpreter.