Hosmer on slump: 'This will be a good test for us to see what we're made of'
By now, Masahiro Tanaka has gotten used to pitching under pressure while the New York Yankees' lineup continually provides him with little run support.
Tanaka insists he's going to worry only about doing his part on the mound.
After Carlos Beltran led an offensive awakening, the right-hander will try to pick up a rare victory as the hosts go after their fourth win in five games Tuesday night against the struggling Kansas City Royals.
Although Tanaka (1-0, 2.29 ERA) has limited opponents to two earned runs or less in each of his six outings, victories have been tough to come by for the 27-year-old with a 2.75 run support average that ranks near the bottom of the majors.
It hurt Tanaka again Thursday when he surrendered five hits and matched a season high with seven strikeouts over eight innings of a 1-0, 10-inning loss at Baltimore. He finished with only one walk and retired 13 of the last 14 batters he faced.
"I think my job is to go out there and try to put up zeros. I'm just trying to do what I can control," the ace told MLB's official website through an interpreter.
Tanaka, who has never faced the Royals, now seeks his fifth straight quality start as New York (12-18) chases its sixth victory in the last eight home games.
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After the club hit .216 while averaging 2.9 runs over its previous 11 games, Beltran drilled two home runs and Aaron Hicks and Brian McCann also went deep in Monday's series-opening 6-3 win. Beltran, who had been 1 for 14 in his previous four games, is batting .407 over an eight-game hitting streak against his former team.
"Maybe this gets us going," manager Joe Girardi said.
Kansas City's Kris Medlen (1-3, 6.85) has been brutal in two home starts, but he's 1-1 with a 2.16 ERA in three on the road. He'll try to regroup after the first six batters he faced scored and he didn't get an out until his 38th pitch on Wednesday.
Medlen allowed a career-high nine runs over two-plus innings in a 13-2 home loss to Washington.
Now the right-hander will try to avoid a career-high fourth straight defeat as he makes his first start versus the Yankees. He's given up four runs over 5 2/3 innings in four relief appearances, though the most recent came in 2012 while with Atlanta.
Starlin Castro is 2 for 5 when facing Medlen dating to his time with the Chicago Cubs, but he's uncertain after sitting Monday due to a rib cage injury. Jacoby Ellsbury is expected to miss his fourth straight game with a strained hip muscle.
The Royals (15-16) hardly resemble the team that won the World Series as they try to avoid their 11th loss in 14 games. They're averaging just 2.7 runs with a .243 batting average during this stretch, while their rotation owns a 6.86 ERA.
Salvador Perez (6 for 38), Jarrod Dyson (2 for 25) and Kendrys Morales (7 for 54) are mired in slumps. Eric Hosmer has been a bright spot, homering in his last two games and hitting .388 with five home runs and 11 RBIs over his last 14.
"We didn't really deal with anything like this last year and I think this will be a good test for us to see what we're made of," Hosmer said.
