Joe Girardi allows Masahiro Tanaka to go seven as Yankees win again

7:20 PM ET

OAKLAND, Calif. — On Wednesday, New York Yankees starter Nathan Eovaldi was cruising against the Arizona Diamondbacks, having allowed just a freak double to the first batter he faced and then retiring the next 18 hitters. Had Jean Segura’s grounder not hit the second-base bag and bounded into the outfield, Eovaldi might well have thrown six perfect innings. At the end of six, he had a 3-1 lead and had thrown just 85 pitches.

Yankees manager Joe Girardi took him out, in favor of his three-headed bullpen monster of Dellin Betances, Andrew Miller and Aroldis Chapman.

The next night, it was Ivan Nova who sailed through the Oakland Athletics lineup, allowing just four hits and needing just 62 pitches to get through six innings. He, too, had a lead, 2-1.

And he, too, was yanked in favor of the Big Three.

Masahiro Tanaka improved to 2-0 by going seven innings Saturday in Oakland, holding the A’s to a run on five hits. AP Photo/Eric Risberg

Fast-forward to Saturday. Masahiro Tanaka was pitching well, although not spectacularly, through six innings against the A’s. Like Eovaldi, he had thrown 85 pitches, but he had allowed five hits and walked …

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