"I don't want to make an excuse." 198-win pitcher with four runs in five innings in the second division, 23-year-old competitor wins his first start in the first division (Min Chang-ki's Japanese baseball)

Jun 12, 2025

Yomiuri right-hander Tanaka started the second-tier game against Nippon Ham on the 11th and allowed four runs in five innings. It has been more than 40 days since he went down to the second division, but it is difficult to join the first division under the current situation. Photo capture =Miuri Giants SNS

Tanaka pitched in three games in the first team this season with a 1-1 record and a 9.00 ERA. The restraint is lower than before and the breaking ball is unstable. Photo capture =Miuri Giants SNS

Tanaka added one win in the Yomiuri Giants, recording 198 wins in the U.S. and Japan. Photo capture =Miuri Giants SNS

Yomiuri Giants right-hander Masahiro Tanaka (37) said after the match against the Nippon Ham Fighters on the 11th, `I don't want to be ping-ponged.' Tanaka struggled as he started the Eastern League (second-tier league) game at Giants Town Stadium in Yomiuri. He had seven hits until the fifth inning and allowed four runs. He threw 91 pitches and struck out three.

Even if the ground condition was the worst due to rain, it is a disappointing result. Tanaka should be throwing in the first team now. An experienced veteran can't blame the weather.

I struggled from the beginning. He allowed three runs in the first inning and two more runs in the second inning. It would have been difficult to pitch normally because the mound was slippery. From the third inning, he stabilized and allowed three scoreless innings. In consideration of the bad weather, he was going to throw up to the 4th inning, but he volunteered to fill the 5th inning. The game ended with a game of rain in the fifth inning. The Yomiuri Giants won by a score of eight to four.

If you post '2 wins', it will be a total of '200 wins'. Last winter, he left the Rakuten Eagles with a '197 win'. After many twists and turns, he moved to Yomiuri and added '1 win'. Yomiuri reached out to Tanaka, who left his home team amid discord. I treated him with legendary respect. However, it is difficult to endure only by favor and consideration without success in professional programs.

The Chunichi Dragons match at Nagoya Bantherin Dome on April 3. In his first appearance as a Yomiuri player, he won the game by pitching five innings of one run. He became the winning pitcher after two seasons. 198 wins in total in the U.S. and Japan.

He took the mound for the first time in two weeks. On April 17, he allowed six runs in two innings against the Yokohama BayStars and was substituted. Compared to its heyday, the ball speed has dropped and the ball control has not been achieved. Tanaka went to the Hiroshima Carp on May 1 and allowed three runs in three innings. There wasn't much going as I thought. This game became the last game of the first team.

Nishidate, a second-year professional, allowed 3 runs in 7 innings against Softbank on the 11th. He made his first start of the season and won his first start. Photo capture =Miuri Giants SNS

With one win and one loss in three games and a 9.00 ERA, he was not a threat to the opponent's batter. He has a batting average of 0.455 with a WHIP of 2.70, while pitching 10 innings, making it difficult for him to hold out in the first team. More and more people are skeptical of Tanaka's recovery of ball power.

Tanaka, who made his debut with Rakuten in 2007, has 120 wins in his country's league and 78 wins for the New York Yankees in Major League Baseball. Last season, he played only one game in the aftermath of his injury. He gave up four runs in five innings.

It's been more than 40 days since I went down to the second team. With the current ball power and flow, it is difficult to get a chance in the first team. Yomiuri, which is aiming for its second consecutive Central League victory, is struggling. As of the 11th, he is in fourth place, 4.5 games behind the Hanshin Tigers.

On the 11th, Yomiuri right-hander Yuhi Nishidate (23) started in an away game against the Softbank Hawks in the Interleague and won his first win of the season and his second professional victory. He started for the first time in 292 days and pitched seven innings of six hits and three runs to lead the team to a 7-3 victory.

Nishidate is a rising star who joined as the No. 1 rookie draft pick in 2024. He won one game in the middle last year and reported his first win as a starter in his second year of joining the team.

Nishidate is a player who competes with Tanaka for a spot in the starting lineup. He played 27 of last year's 28 games as a relief.

Yomiuri defeated Softbank 7-3 in an away game on the 11th. Yomiuri is in fourth place, 4.5 games behind Hanshin. Photo capture =Miuri Giants SNS

I produced the results. He threw five games as a midfielder this season and prepared for selection in the second division. He played in eight games in the second-tier league, recording three wins with a 1.06 ERA and 40 strikeouts in 34 innings.

Should I come back to Tanaka's time.

This article was translated by Naver AI translator.