The Yusei Kikuchi experience continued Saturday in the second game of a three-game series against the visiting Detroit Tigers.
The way Toronto’s rotation lines up, Kikuchi is scheduled to make another start as the Jays close out their nine-game homestand.
In the case of the left-hander, starts aren’t a question at a time in the baseball calendar when it’s beginning to look like Kikuchi’s days in Toronto are numbered.
A pending free agent, many in baseball view Kikuchi as the best trade chip the Jays can offer in potentially bringing back a decent prospect to a thin farm system as the clock ticks toward the July 30 trade deadline.
He was better than good in pitching five solid innings for the Blue Jays.
In the sixth, he was not so good, unable to record an out as the Jays simply became unhinged.
The Tigers scored six times in the fateful sixth en route to a 7-3 win as Detroit goes for a series sweep in Sunday’s matinee finale.
At least the announced Rogers Centre crowd of 38,583 had something to cheer when Vladimir Guerrero Jr. went deep to straight-away centre for his second home run in as many games, third if one takes into account the final game the Jays played last Sunday before they entered the all-star break.
Friday night, Jack Flaherty had a no-hit bid following four innings and recorded the first out in the fifth before the Jays recorded their first hit.
Flaherty earned the win in Detroit’s 5-4 victory, but like Kikuchi pending free agency awaits.
Kikuchi isn’t keen on leaving Toronto.
Baseball is a business and it’s the Jays’ business to try to get much as much as possible for Kikuchi or any of the team’s other five pending free agents.
Chances are the club isn’t likely to receive much, but it’s clear Kikuchi will bring back the biggest haul, a relative term knowing any potential suitor will be acquiring a rental.
Either way, Kikuchi’s athleticism, his explosive delivery and ability to record outs were on full display, at least for five innings.
Just prior to the all-star break, the Jays closed out baseball’s unofficial first half of the season by making stops in Seattle, San Francisco and Arizona.
Against the Giants, Kikuchi struck out a career-high 13, but his milestone moment was wasted in the wake of an anemic offence.
Against the Diamondbacks, he couldn’t make it out of the fifth inning when seven earned runs were charged to Kikuchi.
Against the Tigers, Kikuchi struck out six in four scoreless innings.
The Jays’ offence didn’t give Kikuchi any support.
In fact, Toronto began the day by hitting into inning-ending double plays in the first and second.
In the fourth, a strikeout-caught-stealing sequence resulted in the third inning-ending double play.
Detroit countered with Reese Olson, who has gone at least five innings in all but three of his previous 19 starts.
When the home half of the third inning started, it was Alex Faedo on the mound for the Tigers and not Olson.
In other words, the Jays caught a break, or so it seemed.
Power-throwing left-handers don’t exactly grow on trees, which is why Kikuchi should be in demand.
When the off-season takes shape, he’s in line for a big contract.
In the fifth inning, the Tigers broke the ice following a two-out double.
In the home half of the frame, it was Kenta Maeda on the mound for the Tigers as the game’s pitching had a decided Japanese flavour.
It was then revealed the Tigers removed Olson, whose outing featured 30 pitches, because of right shoulder soreness.
Maeda retired the Jays in order.
With none out in the sixth inning and runners at first and second, pitching coach Pete Walker made a mound visit after Kikuchi gave up a single, threw a wild pitch and issued a walk.
A hit batter on an inside pitch with the count full would load the bases.
Manager John Schneider would soon emerge from the dugout.
Enter Trevor Richards, another pending free agent.
One batter later and the Jays were staring at a 5-0 hole after Jake Rogers took Richards deep for a grand slam.
Four of the five runs would be charged to Kikuchi, who will nonetheless be coveted by a contending team.
The jury is out on Richards, who has been better, but not in recent appearances.
Richards gave up two runs on four hits and would leave the bases loaded before Schneider made his second pitching change of the inning.
Brendon Little finished the inning.
In the seventh, the Jays had Erik Swanson on the mound.
The veteran had been recalled Friday from Triple-A Buffalo.
In his return, Swanson retired the side in order by throwing only seven pitches.
With nothing to play for, standings-wise, an effective Swanson would be welcome as the Jays close out the season, which still has 64 games remaining.
In the ninth, Yimi Garcia, another pending free agent, was on the mound for the first time after he was activated off the injured list Friday.
His velocity was good, his control slightly off, which is to be expected.
All in all, it’s always encouraging when a pitcher strikes out the side.
How long Garcia remains with the Blue Jays is very much up in the air.
HOT STUFF
Vlad Jr. was at third base, one game after he started at first base.
The shift from first to third, which is not new, allowed Spencer Horwitz to start at first base in an infield alignment that had Davis Schneider at second and Leo Jimenez at short for an injured Bo Bichette.
Behind home plate was Danny Jansen, yet another pending free agent.
In Detroit’s second at-bats, Vlad Jr. cleanly handled a ball at the hot corner.
His throw across the diamond was anything but clean, a high throw that forced Horwitz to make the necessary adjustment at the bag as the inning’s first out would be recorded.
In the third inning, Vlad Jr. went to his left and once again made a clean play by securing the grounder.
This time, his throw to first was on target.
For the record, Saturday’s start at third base was the fourth for Vlad Jr. this season.
During a bases-loaded situation, his throw resulted in a force out at the plate, but it required Jansen to field the ball on the first base side of home.