Yusei Kikuchi, 32, of the Toronto Blue Jays, pitched a strong outing that included eight strikeouts, but he hasn’t won a game since July.

Kikuchi pitched 5.1 innings of five-hit ball, striking out eight and walking one in a no-decision against the Seattle Mariners on 22 June at T-Mobile Park in Seattle, Washington, USA.

After picking up his seventh win on 26 June against the Oakland Athletics, Kikuchi was unable to add to his win total in July. The last two games of the first half of the year were not without their share of runs, and this one was no different. His July record was one loss in four games with a 4.66 ERA.

But Kikuchi pitched well on this day against a friendly Seattle team. He got off to a shaky start, walking leadoff hitter J.P. Crawford in the first inning, but got Julio Rodriguez to fly out to right field on a 95.4 mph fastball. He got Eugenio Suarez to fly out to shortstop on a 95 mph fastball.

Kikuchi had runners on first and second in the second, but struck out A.J. Pollock on a wild 84-mph curveball. He mixed in a four-seam and slider around 95 mph, but also used his curveball. He struck out Dylan Moore on a swinging strike with a 96.9 mph fastball. Fastest pitch of the day.

Kikuchi struck out Crawford with the bases loaded in the third inning on a 96 mph fastball. He struck out Suarez on a slider. He retired the next three batters in order with the bases loaded in the fourth, and induced his first triple play in the fifth. He struck out Rodriguez with a curveball, changeup and slider to lead off the sixth before giving up an infield single to Suarez.

Kikuchi is on pace to accumulate the fastest win total of his career despite not winning a game in July. He is in the second season of a three-year, $36 million contract. Seven wins is his most in a season since his debut in 2019. By simple maths, 10 wins seems entirely possible. But there are variables. Ryu could return from Tommy John surgery and rehabilitation as early as the 29th for a three-game home series against the Los Angeles Angels.온라인바카

“Once Ryu returns, Kikuchi will be pushed into the swingman role,” CBS Sports said on 20 April. Rather, the trade of a starting pitcher would be determined by what Alec Manoa does. Basically, they didn’t trust Kikuchi.

Kevin Gausman, Jose Berrios, and Hyun-jin Ryu are constants in the starting rotation. That leaves Kikuchi, free agent Chris Bassett, and Manoa battling for the two remaining spots. That said, there’s no guarantee that Ryu will return to his old form right away, and he could be pitch count managed for the foreseeable future, so a six-man rotation seems necessary.