KND Report: Junichi Tazawa takes the loss against Texas

August 16, 5:14 PMAsian-American Sports ExaminerMichael Street

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Junichi Tazawa took his first loss as a starter
against the Rangers (AP Photo/LM Otero)

Junichi Tazawa has now pitched late at night at hostile, homer-happy Yankee Stadium and early evening in a contentious game in cozy and friendly Fenway.

Today he got an entirely different experience facing the Texas Rangers at Arlington Field in August

The Rangers got the better of him, winning 4-3 and hanging Tazawa with his second loss.

Texas' home park becomes a hitter's park in the hot late summer weather, which also makes it physically demanding.

Their lineup is also stacked with power hitters with good batting eyes, like Josh Hamilton, Ian Kinsler, Nelson Cruz, and Michael Young.

As a whole, the team is fifth in OPS in the AL, and they stand at 4.5 games out of first in the West, and a half-game back of the Red Sox in the AL Wild Card.

It's not a forgiving place to pitch, something Tazawa discovered today.

After a first inning where a bunt single and walk put him into trouble, Tazawa got a lucky lineout double play to rescue him. In the second, Kinsler homered when Tazawa fell behind 3-0 and had to give him something to hit—and hit it Kinsler did.

Fortunately for Tazawa, it was only a solo homer, but in the third inning, he gave up a two-out double to Hamilton, allowing David Murphy to score from first. A single by Kinsler would score Hamilton before Tazawa could retire Hank Blalock, and the Texas side, on a foulout.

Kattobase Nihonjin Dairiigaa!

Boston supported him with two runs early on.

Tazawa responded by setting down Texas in the fourth; only Julio Borbon reached via a four-pitch walk.

In the fifth, Byrd got a one-out double and advanced to third on a 1-2 fly ball to deep center, bringing up Kinsler once again. Tazawa pitched him carefully, walking him on five pitches, then Dustin Pedroia bailed him out by making a great play on a Blalock shot in the hole; D-Ped laid out and nailed Blalock at first by a whisker.

Boston let Tazawa come out in the sixth, and Tazawa quickly got ahead of Taylor Teagarden 0-2, but the catcher cranked an inside fastball into the left-field bleachers to widen the lead to 4-2.

When Elvis Andrus ripped another inside pitch into left field for a single, Tito lifted him for Hideki Okajima, who saved his countryman by retiring Borbon on a sacrifice, walking Young deliberately, and getting Andruw Young to rap into a double play.

Facing a loss, Tazawa got some hope when Pedroia hit a solo shot in the seventh, and Okajima and Ramirez held the Rangers scoreless through the seventh and eighth. But Boston couldn't give him any more runs, and he fell a run short of escaping his first loss as a starter, running his record to 1-2 on the year.

Tazawa worked his fastball around the zone with good late movement, but his curve was a bit more erratic. The combination generally kept the Rangers hitters off-balance, but got punished when either pitch hung up in the zone.

Kinsler's hits were on a low curve and a fastball middle-in, not dead center of the plate, but catching more of it than Tazawa can afford with his above-average stuff. Teagarden's homer came on a fastball that reached only 88 on the radar gun and sat middle-in.

He's not going to overpower major-league hitters and needs to pitch carefully to succeed. Still, the end result of the day was decent enough, especially considering his relative youth and the difficult venue and opposition: 5.0 IP, 4 ER, 10 H, 3 BB and 0 K.

The hits and lack of strikeouts reflects how much he left the ball in a hittable position, and also the skill of the Rangers hitters, who balance patience and power very well. He didn't look as resilient as he did in the emotional game against the Tigers, but still maintained an even keel in spite of adversity.

Tazawa's next start might be next Saturday against the Yankees, depending on where Terry Francona fits Penny into the rotation.

Keep reading the Asian-American Sports Examiner to follow Tazawa the rest of the way down the stretch!