Just like that, the positive emotions generated by an 11-6 win in the first game and the 40-minute ceremony at which Jeter’s No. 2 was retired and his plaque unveiled were replaced by murmurs of discontent.
Credit
Seth Wenig/Associated Press
Springer’s second at-bat turned out just as badly for Tanaka. This time Springer hit a 3-1 pitch into the right-field seats to lead off the second inning. Tanaka got two outs, walked Carlos Correa — and then gave up a run-scoring double to Carlos Beltran that hit near the top of the right-field fence and missed being the Astros’ fifth home run by about a foot.
That was the end of Tanaka’s night, the worst of his Yankees career: eight earned runs, seven hits and four home runs in one and two-thirds innings.
Yankees Manager Joe Girardi was uncharacteristically blunt when asked to assess Tanaka’s performance.
