Masahiro Tanaka Can Do (Yankees-Mets, 5/15)

by Stephen Jones

With signature splitters
He retired Met hitters.
He pitched a 4-0 shutout,
Leaving some with little doubt.

Gunslinger David Cone did speak:
“His pitching control is truly elite.”
And Ron Darling, former Met, did chime:
“He just may be once-in-a-lifetime.”

And if his splitter wasn’t enough,
Tanaka showed other nasty stuff –
Fast ball, change up, slider, curve –
And at the plate had some nerve,

Hitting in the ninth inning a single.
It gave Girardi a fit, others a giggle,
And in the end seemed perfect garnish
For his on-the-mound dominance.