] It’s a terrible nine moves.
Yusei Kikuchi (32, Toronto Blue Jays) played in 7 games out of 6, but failed to score a win again. Kikuchi suffered his 6th loss (9 wins) of the season with 5 hits (2 home runs), 3 strikeouts, 2 walks, and 6 runs in 5 innings in the 2023 Major League Baseball home game against the Texas Rangers held at the Rogers Center in Toronto, Ontario, Canada on the 14th (Korean time). I took it on.카지노사이트
Kikuchi is in the second season of a three-year, $36 million (approximately 47.7 billion won) contract. He debuted with the Seattle Mariners in 2019, but never recorded 10 wins or an earned run average in the 3-point range. Last year, he only had 6 wins, 7 losses, and an ERA of 5.19 in 32 games, and suffered the humiliation of being left out of the starting lineup during the season.
He didn’t have much expectations this season either. When Ryu Hyun-jin returned in the middle of the season, there were many predictions that he would be eliminated from the starting lineup once again. However, as Alec Manoa suffered from his worst slump, Kikuchi’s importance grew. Above all, he caught his attention with his drastically different appearance compared to previous years. He began to actively mix high fastballs and curveballs.
On August 3, against the Baltimore Orioles, he earned his 9th win of the season by allowing 6 hits, 3 strikeouts, 1 walk, and 1 run in 6 innings. However, since then, he has failed to add a win count for 7 consecutive games. He performed poorly in 7 games before Texas on the 14th, allowing 18 earned runs in 38.1 innings and an ERA of 4.23. In particular, in September, he performed poorly with 2 losses in 3 games and an ERA of 5.52.
Kikuchi also had a fast ball around 95 mph. However, the pitching balance was adjusted this season, and the proportion of fast balls decreased as off-speed pitches became popular. He even threw an 81.2 mile (131 km) curve to leadoff hitter Ivan Carter in the 5th inning. Although it wasn’t in the high 60s like Ryu Hyun-jin, the occasional curve in the 80s was definitely powerful.
However, Texas batters were not so easily fooled by Kikuchi’s slow pitch that day. Then he caught the eye with a slider, dropping it low to Nathaniel Rowe in the fourth inning, but was hit by a three-run shot in the middle. In the 5th inning, Robbie Grossman’s 84 mph curveball was driven to the middle, allowing a two-run shot to the left. There are a whopping 26 home runs this season. He surpassed 23 last year.
In the end, Toronto lost the first three games of a four-game home series against Texas, confirming a losing series. Now, they have lost 2nd and 3rd place in the American League wild card race to the Texas Rangers and Seattle Mariners and have fallen to 4th place. They are two games behind Texas and one game behind Seattle. There is still a chance for a comeback, but it was a fatal defeat for both Kikuchi and Toronto.
It is expected that Kikuchi will now be given the opportunity to pitch two or three times. He is mathematically capable of winning 10 games, but he would be very disappointed if he ends the season with 9 wins. Additionally, losing this game was very painful.