Overview

• Tanaka worked 5 innings on 81 pitches at Jingu Stadium, allowing 1 run on 3 hits with no walks for Yomiuri against Yakult.
• He struck out Tetsuto Yamada on a 146 km/h fastball and leaned on an assertive heater around 145 km/h throughout.
• The performance marked his third first-team appearance since an Aug. 7 recall and delivered his second win of the season.
• His combined win total stands at 199, with 121 in Japan and 78 in MLB, leaving him one shy of joining Hideo Nomo, Hiroki Kuroda and Yu Darvish in the 200-win club.
• Coverage varied on the pregame count, as one report framed him two short entering the start, but postgame tallies list him at 199.