Tanaka takes charge, stymies Red Sox

NEW YORK — Masahiro Tanaka said no.

In the top of the sixth inning of the Yankees’ 3-1 win over the Red Sox on Sunday night, the Yankees’ ace found himself staring down a two-out full count against David Ortiz. Catcher Austin Romine wanted a splitter, but Tanaka had other plans.

The right-hander shook off Romine’s suggestion. Tanaka wanted to throw a fastball, and Romine didn’t argue. Tanaka reached back and put everything he could into one pitch. The result was a 95-mph fastball, about three mph faster than his average four-seamer. Ortiz put a charge into it, launching the ball deep into center field, but Jacoby Ellsbury corralled the long fly to end the inning.

It was the last pitch that Tanaka threw Sunday night, and given the circumstances, Romine ranked it among his best.

“He was not scared. He never is scared,” Romine said. “He doesn’t pitch that way. He knows what he has and he goes after people. To see him say, ‘No, I want to throw a fastball to Ortiz’ and not be afraid, that was the biggest thing I could see from him.”

Tanaka’s night went about as well as his gamble against the American League’s leader in OPS and extra-base hits. He exited after the sixth having allowed just one run on three hits while striking out seven …

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