Masahiro Tanaka of the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles on April 17 lost his first game after returning to Japanese professional baseball. (The Asahi Shimbun)
Former New York Yankees All-Star pitcher Masahiro Tanaka lost his debut Saturday in his return to professional baseball in Japan.
Tanaka, a 32-year-old right-hander, gave up three runs and four hits over five innings as his Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles fell 4-1 to the Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters.
Before transitioning to Major League Baseball, Tanaka pitched for the Golden Eagles of the Nippon Professional Baseball from 2007-13. The loss Saturday snapped a string of 28 straight wins in Japan for Tanaka.