Blue Jays sit 1 win away from the postseason as Yusei Kikuchi caps off turnaround season

TORONTO — One by one, the Toronto Blue Jays infielders patted Yusei Kikuchi on the backside before manager John Schneider reached the mound. The left-hander had delivered an outing that the team had been hoping for in what was as close to a must-win game as the Blue Jays have had this season.

Kikuchi pitched five-plus solid innings while receiving a double-digit offensive outburst in the Blue Jays’ 11-4 win over the Tampa Bay Rays on Friday. As he walked off the mound in the sixth inning, he was met with a standing ovation from the sellout crowd in attendance at the Rogers Centre. The fans’ warm embrace was a nod to his night’s performance, and perhaps also his overall bounce-back season, which has been one of the team’s best storylines this year.

Coming off the mound to the enveloping cheers, Kikuchi said he was a bit nervous.

“I wasn’t used to it,” he said through his interpreter Yusuke Oshima. “To be honest, I didn’t really know what to do. But I’m really happy.”

The Blue Jays sit 1 1/2 games up on the Houston Astros for the second wild-card spot and they can clinch a postseason spot with a win on Saturday. The Blue Jays can also secure a postseason berth late Friday night if the Seattle Mariners lose to the Texas Rangers. The Blue Jays can clinch the second wild-card spot if the Mariners lose and the Astros lose to the Arizona Diamondbacks.

LITTLE LEAGUE HOMER pic.twitter.com/pracx9PhDa

— Toronto Blue Jays (@BlueJays) September 30, 2023

With their next game scheduled for 3:07 p.m. EST on Saturday, however, the Blue Jays had no organized plans to stay in their clubhouse and watch the West Coast games. Instead, Schneider said, they’re focused on winning their own game. “If it happens tonight, we’ll have some fun tomorrow after the game.”

Ahead of Friday’s game, the Blue Jays switched up their rotation, turning to Kikuchi a day early instead of Hyun Jin Ryu. At this time in the season a year ago, Kikuchi had lost his spot in the rotation and had been moved to a low-leverage job in the bullpen, capping off what had been a disappointing first season with the Blue Jays. Now he’s a key member of the rotation.

There were several factors that went into the decision to reshuffle the rotation — including getting Ryu an extra day of rest and making Kikuchi available sooner in a potential playoff series, but the fact is, turning to Kikuchi in a game of this magnitude is a major testament to Kikuchi’s turnaround this season.

“He’s put himself in this spot to help us in any way we need him,” Schneider said before the game. “It’s been a really good year for him. Hopefully, he can finish the regular season today on a good note against a tough lineup, but he’s been probably under the radar — as consistent and important as anyone on the staff.”

Indeed, Kikuchi ended his season on a winning note. Pitching with a lead, the left-hander held a righty-stacked Rays lineup to three runs on five hits with four strikeouts and two walks in five innings plus three batters. After his start against the Rays last week, Kikuchi reviewed video and realized he’d been tipping his pitches, so he made that adjustment and cruised for the first five innings.

All the earned runs he allowed came in the sixth after he returned to face the lineup a third time. Yandy Díaz hit a two-run home run and Kikuchi exited the game after allowing a Harold Ramirez double. Reliever Chad Green eventually escaped a bases-loaded jam, only allowing two more runs to score and holding the lead steady at 8-4.

“It’s tough to face nine righties all in a row, but I thought his performance today, it resembled his whole year to where he gives us the chance to win,” Schneider said of Kikuchi. “Looking back from where he was last year to where he is right now, it’s just night and day and you can’t say enough about how consistent he’s been, so today it was just another example of him making big pitches.”

It’s a long time ago now, but back during spring training, Blue Jays camp was abuzz with word of how improved Kikuchi looked — especially his command — after an offseason of working on his mechanics. Early on, Schneider suspected the pitch clock would benefit the left-hander, too, leading to less overthinking on the mound. Kikuchi looked great throughout spring training, easily securing the fifth starter’s job that had once been a question. He largely has maintained that form for much of the regular season. Kikuchi credits the Blue Jays pitching coaches as well as his teammates for their help and support during his time with the club.

“It’s a veteran group of starters,” he said. “I learned a lot just from being around them all year, going out, discussing things in terms of like mentality, how everybody prepares going into games and stuff like that. Just being a part of that starting group is very fortunate (for me).”

Kikuchi finished the year with career-best marks in ERA (3.86) and innings pitched (167 2/3) while he tied his career-high with 32 starts. Because he always possessed good stuff, Kikuchi’s success is mainly due to improved command, lowering his walk rate from a career-worst 12.8 percent last year to 6.9 percent, something he takes particular pride in.

Asked what he was most proud of this season, Kikuchi cited keeping his spot in the rotation for the entire season, “but most importantly, being able to contribute to wins.”

Meanwhile, the offence did Kikuchi a solid on Friday, giving him plenty of cushion to work with. The Rays defence helped in that regard, too.

Bo Bichette and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. combined to go 7 for 9, Alejandro Kirk had three RBIs, including a solo home run, while Brandon Belt and Matt Chapman homered, as well.

In the game’s strangest play, Cavan Biggio laced a single to centre field in the fourth inning but Rays centre fielder Manuel Margot whiffed on the ball as it rolled under his glove, allowing both Bichette, who had singled earlier in the inning, and Biggio to come around and score on the single plus an error or otherwise called — as this comment section will surely agree — a Little League home run.

Not all singles are alike.

Cavan Biggio rounds ’em all after the Rays’ CF absolutely whiffs on this one. Wild scene at the Dome. #BlueJays pic.twitter.com/pfmPLdhb0C

— Keegan Matheson (@KeeganMatheson) September 30, 2023

“Timely hitting is a good thing and if you’re doing that with guys on base and you’re hitting home runs, it’s a really good thing,” Schneider said. “But this is what we can do. Everyone talks about our pitching and our defence, but this lineup can score some runs. Hopefully, we can continue to roll.”

The Blue Jays took care of their own business Friday and with that, Kikuchi said he planned to go home and see if the Rangers could do them a favour.

“My son Leo needs to go to bed,” he said. “As I’m putting him to bed, I’ll watch.”

(Photo: Nick Turchiaro / USA Today)