Los Angeles Angels vs. New York Yankees WATCH Mike Trout and Albert Pujols FREE: Live Streaming Online MLB Game from Yankee Stadium Sunday at 8:00 PM ET
Masahiro Tanaka has enjoyed a successful start to his major league career, though most of the offense against him has come on home runs.
He'll take on baseball's best home run-hitting team Sunday night when he faces red-hot Albert Pujols, MIke Trout, and the Angels at Yankee Stadium.
Tanaka (3-0, 2.15 ERA) thus far looks like he may be well worth the $155 million price tag he fetched from the Yankees (14-10). He's struck out 35 batters over 29 1/3 innings in four starts while issuing only two walks. Tanaka could be in elite company if he continues that pace, as Ben Sheets in 2006 is the only pitcher dating to at least 1914 to average at least nine strikeouts and fewer than one walk per nine innings in more than five starts.
The right-hander's WHIP of 0.82 ranks among the best in the majors.
"We knew his command was good, but it's been really, really good," manager Joe Girardi told the team's website. "He didn't walk people in spring training. We saw that. He's got a real good idea of what he's doing out there."
Beyond exceptional control, Tanaka has induced misses on 29.4 percent of the swings against him.
He limited Boston to two runs and five hits over 7 1/3 innings in a 9-3 road victory Tuesday. Both runs came on solo shots, and six of the eight runs he's allowed have come on four homers.
Pujols hit his 501st homer in Friday's series opener and has nine in his last 16 games. He's posted four consecutive two-hit games and has scored in eight straight while slugging .879.
The former MVP is batting .413 over his last 11 games versus New York.
Trout has hit safely in 15 of 17 career games against the Yankees with a 1.132 OPS, 14 runs scored and 13 RBIs.
New York responded with three runs in the second inning Saturday with backup catcher John Ryan Murphy driving in two. He also broke a 3-all tie with his first career homer in the fifth.
The game will be live streaming online at www.stream2watch.me/baseball
