For what feels like the fifth straight playoff game in Yankee Stadium, both starting pitchers have opened the game on fire. Not literally. That’s just stupid. But Hiroki Kuroda has been especially impressive, striking out five of the first six batters he faced, and he hasn’t allowed a runner.
Kuroda missing bats, Sanchez unscathed
Anibal Sanchez has allowed three runners -- a double, a walk, and an infield hit, but the Yankees have stranded all three. In the bottom of the second, Jayson Nix hit a la(y)ser to the left-field warning track, but it was hauled in by Andy Dirks.
The TBS broadcast crew pointed out Hiroki Kuroda’s seemingly drastic day/night splits this year -- he had a 1.99 ERA during the day and a 3.76 ERA at night. A Yankee Stadium quirk? A deceptive delivery that partially disappears in bright light?
| Split (career) | W | L | G | IP | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Day | 12 | 15 | 3.29 | 35 | 207.2 | |
| Night | 45 | 42 | 3.46 | 113 | 711.0 |
Provided by Baseball-Reference.com
Or maybe it’s sample size. It’s probably sample size. It’s just sample size. Carry on.
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