The joys and sorrows of the Korean and Japanese big leaguers were mixed.
Yusei Kikuchi (Toronto Blue Jays) made a good pitch. On the 8th (hereinafter Korean time), he started the 2023 major league away exhibition game against the Pittsburgh Pirates held at Rycom Park in Bradenton, Florida, USA, and pitched 3 innings, striking out 2 and walking 2 runs.
Kikuchi was in his second season of 3 years and $36 million. Last year, he was too sluggish with 6 wins, 7 losses, 1 save and an ERA of 5.19 in 32 games토토사이트. During the season, he suffered the humiliation of being dropped from the starting lineup. Recently, Bleacher Report also named Kikuchi as Toronto’s worst contract.
Kikuchi starts this season with the fifth starter. This is because it is not easy for Mitch White to manage his condition due to shoulder issues. In that respect, the exhibition game cruise is encouraging for Toronto. Up until this day, in 3 games, 7 innings, 1 hit, 9 strikeouts, 3 walks, no runs.
It’s overwhelming. The day was good too. After two outs in the first inning, he gave up a walk to Andrew McCutchen, but handled a second baseman grounder with a changeup from Carlos Santana. In the second inning, lead hitter Jack Swinsky went on base with a walk, but in a crisis with one out and second base, Cannon Smith struck out Nicbar with a curve, center fielder line drive, and Austin Hedges with a 96-mile four-seam swing.
Kikuchi faced Korean big leaguer Bae Ji-hwan in the third inning. was the leading hitter. In 1B1S, he handled the center field line drive with a slider. Afterwards, he struck out Brian Reynolds on a four-seam 95 mph swinging and ending the inning.
Bae Ji-hwan, on the other hand, was silent. He failed to capture Kikuchi in his first at-bat, and in his second at-bat in the fifth inning, he turned with a floating ball to left field against Dalton Basho. He was substituted at the start of the seventh inning. The result of the day was no hits in 2 at-bats. His average score was 1 hit in 14 at-bats with a batting average of 0.071 and 2 runs scored. Pittsburgh’s 7-2 win.