Hit hard again, Kikuchi seeking answers
SEATTLE -- Yusei Kikuchi is looking for answers. And judging by the crowd of about 25 Japanese journalists who surrounded him after the Mariners’ 9-3 loss to the Angels on Thursday, he’s not the only one.
The normal group of Japanese reporters covering Kikuchi swelled in anticipation of a first-time Major League matchup against countrymate Shohei Ohtani, but that storyline fell through when Angels manager Brad Ausmus didn’t start Ohtani in the series opener.
Kikuchi said that he wasn’t disappointed about not facing Ohtani, but he had plenty of other concerns following a rough start when he lacked his normal command and wound up allowing 10 hits and a season-high six earned runs in 3 1/3 innings in a 73-pitch struggle.
“I didn’t really have my good stuff today,” Kikuchi said through translator Jason Novak. “Throughout the course of a season, you’re going to have a handful of times where you’re feeling really good and then other times you might not have your best stuff. I have to learn to grind through the games when I’m not having my best stuff. I’m still working through the adjustments.”
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It seems like it might be a good time for another of the abbreviated Kikuchi starts for the Mariners, given that their 27-year-old rookie was hit hard for a second straight outing. Manager Scott Servais wasn’t ready to commit to that, but the initial plan of a shorter start about once a month indicates that decision is looming.
“We’ll continue to talk about it,” Servais said. “Those starts are mapped out ahead of time. But we’ll talk about it and sit down with him. I’m more concerned about where he’s at and making sure he learns from this type of stuff. On the nights you don’t have your ‘A’ game, you have to figure out a way. That’s what really separates the pitchers in this league. He’ll learn from it.”
Kikuchi said that he feels fine physically, but he will leave it to the Mariners to determine his schedule.
“That’s not my decision,” he said. “I’m going to listen to what the coaches say to that. No matter what, I have to get ready for my next start. There’s going to be highs and lows throughout the season. I just want to be ready and make sure I have my best stuff the next time out there.”
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Kikuchi had several outstanding starts in early May after a one-inning outing on April 26 against the Rangers to limit his workload in his initial season in the Majors. But he’s given up 20 hits and 11 runs (10 earned) in 6 2/3 frames over his past two starts against the A’s and Angels.
Kikuchi is now 3-3 with a 4.43 ERA, with his next appearance slated for Tuesday against the Astros at T-Mobile Park.
Kikuchi’s velocity was down a little as his fastball was sitting around 92 mph most of Thursday, and he didn’t notch any strikeouts.
“He’s been pretty good at putting guys away, but they did not swing and miss tonight,” Servais said. “He didn’t have much to miss the barrel at all and left a lot of pitches in the middle of the zone. They took advantage of it.”
But Kikuchi vowed he’d learn from the experience as he continues working through his first season in MLB.
“In nine years as a pro in Japan, that’s one thing I learned was how to manage ballgames even when I don’t have my best stuff,” he said. “I have to look back and see what I need to do. There’s not one thing to pinpoint, like I need to change this. I just have to grind through my starts when I don’t have my best stuff.”
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Kikuchi is far from the only Mariner struggling of late. Seattle fell to 1-9 over its past 10 games and 11-33 since its surprising, MLB-best 13-2 start.
The Mariners are now assured of the worst May in franchise history. They’re 6-21 this month, with one game to go. The club has never won fewer than eight games in May, going 8-20 in 2008 and 8-19 in 2010, en route to 61-101 finishes both years.
This year’s Mariners have had many problems, but the rotation has become one of the bigger ones in recent weeks. Seattle’s starters are 5-19 with a 6.66 ERA since April 27.
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Tim Beckham provided some pushback for the Mariners with a two-run homer in the fifth inning -- his 11th of the season and second in the past two games -- and wound up with three RBIs on the night. But Beckham, back at shortstop in place of the injured J.P. Crawford, also committed his Major League-leading 13th error of the season.
That miscue hiked Seattle’s team totals to 64 errors and 55 unearned runs -- both Major League highs -- in 59 games.