onelove168 Achieving a feat at “holy ground.” Giants pitcher Masahiro Tanaka (36), who is on the verge of reaching 200 wins in Japan and the U.S., participated in pitcher practice at Giants Stadium in Kawasaki City on the 25th. He threw 33 pitches in the bullpen, preparing for his next appearance against Hiroshima on the 28th at Mazda Stadium. The same ground is where his former teammate Hiroki Kuroda (50) achieved his 200th win in Japan and the U.S., even though he played with the Yankees in Major League Baseball. He will achieve this milestone in Hiroshima, just like his predecessor.

Tanaka remains calm and composed. He’s just one win away from reaching 200 wins in Japan and the U.S. He said, “I’m just doing what I can,” and didn’t do anything special, instead practicing catch and practicing in the bullpen. “I’ve been trying to reach 200 wins for years, and of course I’ve always wanted to reach that milestone, but I’ve never been able to reach it. I’ve always been conscious of it, so it didn’t just suddenly appear. So, for now, it just feels like business as usual.” Even as he approaches becoming the fourth player in history to reach that milestone, he remains calm. Hiroki Kuroda achieved his 200th win in Japan and the US on July 23, 2016, in a game against the Hanshin Tigers at Mazda Stadium. Masahiro Tanaka and I played together in 2014, both with the Yankees. “It was my first year in the majors, and we were both pitchers in the starting rotation , so having Kuroda as my teammate was a huge help to me,” he said gratefully. All of Mazda’s previous appearances have been at least six innings long, with three or fewer runs allowed. He will make history in the same spot as his great predecessor. Momentum is building for 200 wins. Since making his first appearance in about three months against the Yakult Swallows on the 7th (at Tokyo Dome), he has pitched well in three starts with a 1.15 ERA. Despite the starters showing signs of fatigue, with Yamazaki and Akaho being removed from the rotation, he continues to pitch well. “It’s good for me to be able to break into the rotation like this, but I need to produce results,” he said. He remains committed to the team’s victory. “I think the most important thing is for the team to win at least one game in the regular season. So for me, that (200 wins) isn’t everything.” If he plays for the team, he’ll naturally see the milestone come. [Kiyohiro Mizutani] Masahiro Tanaka at Mazda Stadium Previously, he pitched four times in interleague games with Rakuten, with a 1-0 record and a 2.25 ERA. In 2011, he pitched against Hiroshima’s Barrington , allowing only three hits and a shutout win. In all four of his appearances, he pitched at least six innings and allowed three runs or fewer. Masahiro Tanaka’s Milestone Victories: First win (April 18, 2007 vs. SoftBank, Fullcast Miyagi) He out-pitched Suginuchi and struck out Matsunaka three times, becoming the first high school graduate rookie to record 13 strikeouts since Matsuzaka (Seibu, 15) in 1999. He also recorded his first complete game. Regarding his first win in his fourth game since his debut, he said, “Winning in the pros is really difficult, so winning in my fourth game feels like a quick win.” 50th win (June 1, 2011 vs. Hiroshima, K-Stadium Miyagi) He achieved his 50th win in his fifth year after graduating from high school. “I don’t really think of it as a milestone. I should have achieved it last year.” 100th win in Japan and the US (April 4, 2014 vs. Blue Jays, Rogers Centre) He achieved his first major league win and his 100th win in Japan and the US in his first appearance since joining the Yankees. “I think the most important thing is that I was able to put in a good performance in my first game. Of course, one game isn’t enough.” He reached 150 wins in Japan and the US (September 14, 2017, against the Orioles at Yankee Stadium) in 278 games. He is the fastest player to reach this milestone since the two-league system was introduced, surpassing Daisuke Matsuzaka ‘s 285 games. “When I first entered this world, I thought numbers like 200 wins were a very distant goal. (onelove168)