Detroit Tigers second baseman Andy Ibanez, right, throws to first base to complete a double play after forcing out Toronto Blue Jays right-fielder Daulton Varsho during second inning American League baseball action in Toronto on Saturday, July 20, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jon Blacker
TORONTO – In what may have been his final appearance as a Toronto Blue Jay, nothing went right for lefty Yusei Kikuchi in the sixth inning on Saturday.
Kikuchi cruised through five innings, striking out six and only allowed an unearned run. But then he couldn’t get anybody and the Detroit Tigers took advantage to push to a 7-3 win before 38,585 at Rogers Centre.
Kikuchi gave up a Matt Vierling single, walked Mark Canha and then hit Wenceel Perez to load the bases with nobody out.
Kikuchi gave way to reliever Trevor Richards who was greeted with a 391-foot grand slam homer into the left-field seats from catcher Jake Rogers.
“I lost my momentum,” the 33-year-old Kikuchi said. “I didn’t want to give up that second run and I felt the pressure to throw strikes.”
Kikuchi (4-9) is in the final season of the three-year contract he signed to come to Toronto. He’s a player the Blue Jays (44-54) likely will move before the trade deadline on July 30.
“It’s in the back of my mind,” the Japanese starter said. “But it’s out of your control. I don’t know what’s going to happen. I love our team, the city and all the fans here.”
Rogers’ third career grand slam highlighted a six-run inning for Detroit (49-50), winners of 10 of its last 12 outings.
“We’re having fun right now and need to keep it up,” Rogers said.
Vladimir Guerrero went 3-for-4 and belted a two-run homer as part of a three-run sixth answer for Toronto.
Down 7-0, Kevin Kiermaier blooped a one-out double down the left-field line and scored on George Springer’s single. Guerrero then hit his team-leading 16th homer with two out off reliever Kenta Maeda to straightaway centre. It was Guerrero’s second long ball of the series.
After giving up back-to-back singles with two out in the first inning, Kikuchi settled down to retire 12 of the next 13 Tigers before Alex Vilade’s single to centre with two out in the fifth.
Vilade chugged home on Andy Ibanez’s double down the left-field line. Toronto’s Daulton Varsho bobbled the hit and was given an error, allowing the slow-footed Vilade to score and Ibanez to end up at third.
Kikuchi’s day concluded when he loaded the bases on his 94th pitch.
“He had good stuff again, then kind of lost his command at the end with a walk and hit by pitch,” Toronto manager John Schneider said. “His pitch count got up there, but I thought he was really, really good.”
Richards only retired one of the six batters he faced. Ibanez singled home Javier Baez with Richards still on the mound to push the Tigers advantage to 6-0.
Detroit sent 11 batters to the plate in the sixth inning, scoring a final run on reliever Brendon Little’s wild pitch.
Detroit starter Reese Olson departed after two innings and 30 pitches with a sore right shoulder. He gave up a Guerrero single and two walks but was bailed out by double plays to end each of his innings.
Tigers manager A.J. Hinch employed a series of relievers to preserve the shutout. Alex Faedo (5-1), Maeda and Tyler Holton went two innings apiece with Shelby Miller closing the ninth.
BROKEN BO
The Blue Jays placed Bo Bichette on the 10-day injured list after leaving the series opener against Detroit with a strained right calf but likely will miss more than 10 days.
“It’s a moderate calf strain,” Schneider said. “All we know right now is he’s going to miss multiple weeks. We’ll know more as we go.”
Bichette missed the final four games before the MLB All-Star break and 10 days in late June with the same ailment.
To replace Bichette, Toronto recalled infielder/outfielder Addison Barger from triple-A Buffalo.
ON DECK
Kevin Gausman (7-8) will start for the Blue Jays in the series finale on Sunday. The Tigers counter with righty Keider Montero (1-2).
This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 20, 2024.
