Kikuchi's personal maximum of 13K and lost two runs in 7.1 innings... What do you mean, a come-from-behind defeat in the game
Jul 10, 2024
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Kikuchi started in an away game against the San Francisco Giants at Oracle Park on the 10th (Korea time) and recorded a quality start plus of six hits (two home runs), no four outs, 13 strikeouts, and two runs in seven ⅓ innings. The team was replaced in the bottom of the eighth inning with a 3-2 lead, and met the requirements for a winning pitcher, but failed to become a winning pitcher due to a come-from-behind loss in the bottom of the ninth inning.
Kikuchi faced San Francisco's Blake Snell as a starter.
In the bottom of the first inning, Kikuchi struck out the leadoff Tairo Estrada with a 95.1 mile outside fastball. From No. 3 Michael Conforto to No. 6 Patrick Bailey, he struck out four consecutive batters from the beginning.
He got a blow in the bottom of the fourth inning when he was 0-0. Allowing a solo shot to the first two Heliot Ramos. The third pitch, 94.9 miles of fastball thrown from the advantageous count of 2S, came low in the middle, and Ramos hit it properly and crossed the middle fence. 0-1.
At the bottom of the fifth inning, he was on the verge of first and third bases with no outs with consecutive hits, but he lowered the atmosphere with consecutive strikeouts and handled Estrada with a ground ball in front of the shortstop and handed over no runs.
Despite Kikuchi's good pitching, however, the Toronto batters were tied to Snell. He got only one hit and three walks until the fifth inning and was scoreless.
Toronto succeeded in turning the tables with a single shot in the top of the seventh inning. With Danny Jansen's walk and Spencer Horwitz's double, pinch-hitter Ernie Clement hit a come-from-behind three-run shot over the left-center fence. The score changed to 3-1 at once.
Kikuchi, who also took the mound in the bottom of the eighth inning, was hit by a left-handed solo shot by Tyler Fitzgerald. 13th strikeout against Brett Weisley before switching to Nate Pearson.
His 13 strikeouts are his record for most in a major league game. It surpassed 12 against Oakland on July 23, 2022.
He came down from the mound looking at his fifth win of the season, but he had to swallow his disappointment in the bottom of the ninth inning.
Toronto put up Trevor Richards in the bottom of the ninth inning to win, allowing Weisley to tie the hit with two outs and runners on the first and second bases, and San Francisco took a 4-3 come-from-behind victory when the sixth change-up hit the right shoulder of the blocked catcher in 2B2S during the Estrada at-bat with two outs and runners on the second and third bases.
indyk@sportschosun.com
