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Cubs Hit Tanaka With First Loss

Chicago, IL (SportsNetwork.com) - Masahiro Tanaka is human after all. 

Seeing  the New York right-hander for the second time this season, the Chicago 
Cubs  reached Tanaka for four runs -- three earned -- on eight hits to claim a 
6-1 triumph over the Yankees on Tuesday, sending the former Japanese superstar 
to his first regular-season loss since Aug. 19, 2012. 

Dating  back to  his time  in Nippon  Professional Baseball,  Tanaka had  gone 
unbeaten  in 42  straight regular-season  starts, posting  a 34-0  mark, which 
included  a  perfect 6-0 record since  signing a seven-year, $155 million deal 
with the Yankees in the offseason. 

However,  Tanaka (6-1)  failed  to  keep the  streak  going,  as he  struggled 
through  the elements  at a rain-soaked Wrigley Field while receiving just one 
run of support thanks to a solid start from counterpart Jason Hammel. 

"It  was pretty  wet out there at  times," Yankees manager Joe Girardi said of 
the  weather conditions. "I  don't know if that had anything to do with it. He 
still didn't pitch that bad. He was just slipping a little bit." 

Hammel (5-2) held the Yankees to one run on four hits with six strikeouts over 
5  2/3  frames to pick up  the win, while Mike  Olt recorded three RBI for the 
Cubs, who have won three straight on the heels of a three-game slide. 

"From  the beginning we just haven't been able to pull out the one-run games," 
said  Hammel. "That's  the  bottom line.  The  win-loss record  can  be a  bit 
deceiving  at times. Tonight,  a great game against a great team. ... It was a 
great overall win." 

John  Baker  and Emilio Bonifacio  each registered two hits,  an RBI and a run 
scored in the victory. 

Brett  Gardner and Derek Jeter combined for four of New York's six hits, while 
Mark  Teixeira drove  in the  lone  run for  the  Yankees, who  have lost  two 
straight games. 

Tanaka fanned 10 over eight innings in a 3-0 win against the Cubs on April 16, 
but Chicago made sure it wouldn't be blanked again, manufacturing a run in the 
third and another in the fourth to grab an early edge. 

In  the  third, Baker  smacked a  leadoff single, moved  to second on Hammel's 
sacrifice bunt and then found third on Tanaka's wild pitch. Bonifacio followed 
with a single to center to score Baker for a 1-0 lead. 

After Hammel retired the side in order in the top of the fourth, Luis Valbuena 
opened  the home half with a double, moved to third on a groundout, and scored 
on Olt's sharp single to left. 

Baker  followed with a double to put men on second and third with one out, but 
Tanaka  wiggled  out of the jam  without further damage. Hammel tried to score 
Olt with a bunt, but Tanaka used his glove to scoop up the ball and flip it to 
catcher Brian McCann, who applied the tag on a sliding Olt. 

Bonifacio then bunted Tanaka's next offering down the third-base line, but the 
New  York hurler barehanded  the ball and flipped to the plate to retire Baker 
for the final out of the inning. 

Teixeira stroked a run-scoring single in the sixth to slice New York's deficit 
in  half, but  Olt and Baker lofted back-to-back sacrifice flies in the bottom 
of the frame to give the Cubs a 4-1 lead. 

Preston  Claiborne replaced  Tanaka to start the bottom of the seventh and the 
Cubs  quickly took  advantage. Bonifacio opened the frame with a triple before 
Claiborne intentionally walked Anthony Rizzo two batters later. 

Starlin  Castro  then plated Bonifacio with  a single to left before Claiborne 
gave  way to  Matt Thornton,  who induced  a fielder's  choice groundout  from 
Valbuena before plunking Nate Schierholtz to load the bases. 

Matt Daley replaced Thornton on the bump and walked Olt to score Rizzo for the 
game's final run. 

                                   Game Notes 

Jeter  recorded his  first stolen  base  since Sept.  5, 2012,  17 days  after 
Tanaka's  last regular-season  loss, which  came against  the Seibu  Lions ... 
Tanaka struck out seven to up his season total to 73 punchouts ... The Yankees 
finished  1-for-9 with runners in scoring position and left 10 men on base ... 
Valbuena collected three hits, including two doubles, and scored twice for the 
Cubs  ...  Chicago's three-game win  streak matches  a season high, first done 
April 30-May 3. 

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