Pitcher Yusei Kikuchi of the Major League Baseball Blue Jays started the exhibition game against the Pirates and pitched well, pitching no runs and three strikeouts in two innings.
On the 26th, pitcher Kikuchi, who is in camp for his sixth year in the major leagues, started pitching in an exhibition game against the Pirates in Dunedin, Florida.
In the first inning, he struck out the first batter with a 138 km curve, and although the second batter was hit on two bases, the third and fourth batters were hit by first flies in a row. We got through by conceding a goal.
In the second inning, he grounded out the lead-off batter No. 5 with a 136 kg changeup, struck out the No. 6 batter with a 136 kg changeup, and struck out the No. 7 batter with a 152 kg fastball that was just inside the outside corner. He showed good pitching with three strikeouts and no runs allowed.
Pitcher Kikuchi won a place in the starting rotation during last year's camp, and last season he won 11 games, his most in the major leagues.
At this year's camp, pitcher Kikuchi focused on learning change-ups with lower ball speeds, saying, ``The theme was straight and change-ups. This year's camp had a theme, but last year it wasn't quite like that. My pitching coach tells me not to worry about the results, so that makes me feel really comfortable.''
Regarding the fact that he has been throwing with quick motion even when there are no runners since last season, he said, ``Some people pitch faster by raising their feet, but for me it hasn't changed.It's better to practice one ball than two. It's easy and the rhythm becomes one,'' he said, emphasizing the benefits.