Masahiro Tanaka looked a lot like the starters who replaced him with the Yankees.

The right-hander’s return to Japan was less than ideal, as he gave up three runs in five innings as his Rakuten Golden Eagles fell 4-1 to the Nippon Ham Fighters. Tanaka gave up a two-run home run in the first inning and a solo shot to lead off the second before settling down.

Tanaka opted to return to Japan this offseason after spending the past seven seasons with the Yankees. The 32-year-old’s loss broke a 28-game winning streak that dated back to his previous stint with the Eagles.

His decision led the Yankees led to sign Corey Kluber and acquire Jameson Taillon in a trade with the Pirates. As both pitchers return from significant injuries, they have been unable pitch deep into games.

Kluber has thrown a combined 10 1/3 innings in his three starts, pitching to a 6.10 ERA. Taillon has gone a total of 8 1/3 innings in two starts with a 7.56 ERA.

Tanaka was asked about the way he utilized his split-finger and slider after the game.

“I think the slider was better, but since my mechanics weren’t good in the first place, neither pitch felt that good,” Tanaka told Nikkan Sports.

“Because of the situation with the coronavirus, the stadium atmosphere hasn’t returned to the way it was before,” Tanaka added of the crowd of 9,885 fans for the road start. “But even in this situation, I felt the joy of being able to play in front of the fans.”