Highbridge News: Tanaka Terminates Toronto

Highbridge News: Tanaka Terminates Toronto: Tanaka Terminates Toronto Raises Mark to 11-1 as Yanks Top Blue Jays (Photos by Gary Quintal) By Howard Goldin BRONX, NEW Y...

Tanaka Terminates Toronto

Tanaka Terminates Toronto

Raises Mark to 11-1 as Yanks Top Blue Jays

(Photos by Gary Quintal)

By Howard Goldin

BRONX, NEW YORK, JUNE 18- Masahiro Tanaka continued his sensational pitching as he earned his 11^th win of the year. 

The 3-2 win of the Yanks over the Toronto Blue Jays was the 14^th consecutive victory of the Yanks over their Canadian rivals in games played in the Bronx. The victory cut the deficit for the second place Yankees to 3.5 games behind the American League East leading Blue Jays. 

Yankees skipper Joe Girardi commented, “You want to close as much ground as you can.”

As has happened in each of Tanaka’s 14 games this season, the major story of the game is his performance on the mound. The 25 year-old has thrown a “quality start” in each of his 14 appearances in the majors. He is only the second pitcher to pitch at least six innings and give up three runs or less in each of his first 14 major league starts in more than a century. Steve Rogers of the Montreal Expos achieved that feat in 1973.

Former Met shortstop Jose Reyes hit the first pitch of the game into the stands in right for a home run. After the game Tanaka, recalled, “I think it was the first time in my career that I gave up a first pitch home run. It threw me off my rhythm.” After two batters were retired, two Blue Jays batters hit singles in the inning. 

Girardi described the first pitch in the following manner, “He [Tanaka] just threw a pitch right down the middle and Reyes knows this park very well.”

Although Tanaka expressed disappointment with his performance after the game, he only yielded two additional hits in the five other innings he pitched. He walked two, yielded five hits and fanned 10, double figures for the fifth time this year. His 113 strikeouts in his first 14 starts in the big leagues is third in history. His season ERA dropped after the contest to a minuscule 1.99.

Most importantly for the Yankees, the Japanese native did not yield a run after his first pitch. He was removed after six because of his pitch count of 104. 

Girardi was profuse in his praise of Tanaka throughout the season, “His stuff is pretty good and he knows how to use it and make adjustments. It’s hard not to say that his start is as good as anyone I know. I don’t think it’s fair to expect that from anyone. It’s just remarkable.”

Another experienced eye, that of the Yankees veteran captain, Derek Jeter, saw very similar to what the Yankee manager did in watching Tanaka, “He’s pretty much done that every time out. His ability to make adjustments from hitter to hitter is probably the most impressive thing. He makes adjustments throughout the game.” 

The self-critical rookie disagreed with the assessments of Jeter and Girardi, “I don’t feel I was making adjustments tonight. I was just trying to keep the ball down.” 

However he performed as he has done this season, it should be noted that Tanaka leads the American League in wins, winning percentage and ERA. 

The Yankee relievers, Dellin Betances in two innings and David Robertson in the ninth, did not give up a run.

Rookie Chase Whitley and veteran Mark Buehrle will be the starting pitchers in the second game of the three game set on Wednesday night.

Highbridge News: Perv Teacher

Highbridge News: Perv Teacher: Perv Teacher Faces 14 Years in Attack on 10 Year Old Student (Photo by David Greene) By David Greene BRONX, NEW YORK, JUNE 16-...

Perv Teacher

Perv Teacher Faces 14 Years in Attack on 10 Year Old Student

(Photo by David Greene)

By David Greene

BRONX, NEW YORK, JUNE 16- A former Bronx teacher charged in the unthinkable crime of a sex attack on a 10-year-old special education student, has pled guilty to the horrific crime.

The Bronx District Attorney announced that former 5th-grade teacher Anthony Criscuolo, 41, has pled guilty to first-degree felony rape and will be sentenced next month.

Police sources stated at the time that Criscuolo was a teacher at P.S. 386 in University Heights and had told the victim's family that she had won an award.

The unidentified 10 year old was attacked by her teacher inside his car on that spring afternoon in June, 2013.

Criscuolo had faced 25 years in prison, but the district attorney's office agreed to the deal in an effort to "not further traumatize this young victim" with the added ordeal of a public trial.

Criscuolo has also agreed to surrender his teaching license and be added to the sex offenders registry. Upon completing his sentence, Criscuolo will also be required to 18 years of post-release monitoring.   

Highbridge News: Little Italy Feast

Highbridge News: Little Italy Feast: Little Italy Feast Photos by Gary Quintal Italians and would-be Italians came out to celebrate the Feast of St. Anthony on Arth...

Little Italy Feast

Little Italy Feast

Photos by Gary Quintal

Italians and would-be Italians came out to celebrate the Feast of St. Anthony on Arthur Avenue. Music, rides and of course food were on hand to celebrate. A procession was held in which the statue of the saint was carried throughout the neighborhood.

Highbridge News: Stone-faced Park Gunman gets 44 Years

Highbridge News: Stone-faced Park Gunman gets 44 Years: Stone-faced Park Gunman gets 44 Years By Michael Brown Jr. and David Greene BRONX, NEW YORK, JUNE 16- A young man has been se...