Masahiro Tanaka joins Yankees’ legends with dominant Game 5 start

A brilliant outing in Game 5 of the ALCS against the Houston Astros put Masahiro Tanaka in elite company in New York Yankees franchise history.

Tanaka went seven innings, allowing no runs. It was his second such start of the postseason. In the illustrious history of the Yankees’ franchise, only Whitey Ford and Roger Clemens have done that.

Tanaka is certainly rubbing elbows with some pretty impressive company.

Now, it must be pointed out that prior to 1969, the postseason consisted of only the World Series. Even going on three-days rest (as was the standard), that limited pitchers to no more than three starts in a single postseason.

Still, the Yankees have been postseason fixtures over the years. In the Wild Card era alone (since 1995), they’ve made the playoffs 19 times. From 1969-1994, they made the playoffs five additional times. One of those appearances (1981) came in an expanded postseason.

In that time, New York has certainly had its share of elite pitchers. Joining Clemens and Ford shows how special Tanaka’s postseason has been. And if the Yankees can beat the Astros one more time, Tanaka will get a chance to add to his legacy in the World Series.