Bo Bichette delivered a bases-clearing triple, while Daulton Varsho added a two-run homer as the Toronto Blue Jays secured a 5-3 victory over the Kansas City Royals on Monday night.
The Blue Jays have now won seven of their last nine games, while the Royals suffered their third consecutive home loss after previously winning nine straight at Kauffman Stadium.
Yusei Kikuchi (2-1) had a strong start, allowing only one baserunner on 48 pitches through the first five innings.
“(Kikuchi) was exceptional early on, although he faced some trouble in the sixth,” commented Toronto manager John Schneider. “He was incredibly efficient with his pitch count, attacking hitters and generating weak contact and strikeouts. Bo and Varsho came through with crucial hits.”
Kikuchi did surrender a two-run homer to Maikel Garcia in the sixth inning after allowing a single and a double with two outs, but he managed to escape further damage.
“My fastball was particularly effective today,” Kikuchi noted through an interpreter. “I was able to locate it well, especially up in the zone against those hitters.”
Tyler Duffey, called up from Triple-A Omaha earlier in the day, pitched two scoreless innings in relief, striking out three batters.
Jordan Romano gave up a solo home run to Kyle Isbel in the ninth but closed out the game for his third save of the season and 100th of his career.
“Reaching the 100-save milestone is a remarkable achievement for Jordan,” remarked Schneider. “It speaks volumes about his consistency and effectiveness in the closer role over the years. I’m thrilled for him.”
On the opposing side, Brady Singer (2-1) struggled, allowing five runs on five hits over six innings, including three walks, all of whom scored.
“(Singer) started strong, but the walks proved costly,” said Royals manager Matt Quatraro. “He showed good velocity and movement early on, but we need to find ways to generate offense beyond just the long ball.”
Singer reached a career milestone, becoming the 19th Royals pitcher to tally 500 career strikeouts, tying Steve Busby as the fastest to achieve this mark, doing so in his 100th appearance.
“I feel fortunate to reach this milestone,” Singer commented. “It’s a cool moment for me.”
Despite the Royals’ two home runs, they couldn’t mount a comeback against the Blue Jays’ solid pitching and timely hitting.
