Yusei Kikuchi’s brilliance continues as Jays prevail over Phillies

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Sometimes it’s a leg kick, as it was when he struck out Alec Bohm in the first inning of a terrific pitching duel at the Rogers Centre on Tuesday night.

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Other times, Yusei Kikuchi’s celebration is a hop off the mound, as it was when he got Philadelphia Phillies slugger Bryce Harper swinging in the fourth.

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And then there’s the modified fist pump that the rejuvenated Jays lefty did when he fanned Nick Castellanos later in that same inning.

The on-mound theatrics are just part of the show, however, as Kikuchi has emerged as a critical force in the sizzling Jays rotation.

The animated lefty continued his rejuvenated season, allowing just one run in six innings in the Jays’ clutch 2-1 win over the Phillies before a sellout crowd of 42,615.

The Jays’ offence did just enough, scoring the go-ahead run in the eighth to improve to 67-54 as the scent of a playoff race begins to get a little stronger around these parts.

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And it was another night in which the continued excellence of Kikuchi added more superlatives.

“Most of the time, it’s his reaction on strikeouts and seeing the joy he is pitching with,” Jays manager John Schneider said when asked what stands out about the Japanese southpaw’s sensational season thus far. “Watching him work in between starts and evolving as the season went on and looking at a really confident pitcher has been really cool.

It’s been much more than that, of course, considering entering spring training Kikuchi’s role with the Jays was very much in doubt.

Now, all he has done has gone six consecutive starts allowing one run or fewer, matching Dave Stieb and current teammate, Hyun Jin Ryu.

“You look at 365 days ago and where he was (relegated to the bullpen) and where he is now (one of the best pitchers in the league) and it’s awesome to see a player put in the work and see the results,” Schneider said.

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In his latest start — his 24th of the season — Kikuchi was superb, a necessity given the pitcher’s duel that unfolded in the opener of the quick two-game series against the Phillies.

Jays hitters certainly had their hands full with Phillies starter Zack Wheeler, who allowed just three hits while walking four over seven innings.

But with Kikuchi doing his thing, it was enough to win a game that Schneider later described as having a playoff feel.

“He was throwing lightning bolts the first three innings,” Schneider said of Kikuchi, who trimmed his post all-star break ERA to 1.29, second lowest in the majors. “It’s a really tough lineup to navigate, about as deep as you can get. I thought it was one of the best outings we’ve seen from him.

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‘He was outstanding again.”

WHAT A RELIEF

While there was no question that Kikuchi was dealing, Schneider took advantage of a rested bullpen and the return from the injured list of closer Jordan Romano to attempt to shut down the Phillies.

It started with a four-batter seventh from Yimi Garcia, followed by deadline acquisition Jordan Hicks striking out the side in the eighth.

That set the stage for the return of Romano, pitching for the first time since July 28. The velocity was back, as was the excellence, as Romano’s fastball eclipsed 97 miles per hour in a 1-2-3 ninth to secure the save, his 29th of the season.

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“It’s really cool the way the bullpen is built right now,” said Schneider, who is now doubt salivating at the opportunities that exist with the two Jordans – Romano and Hicks – plus the rest of the reliever group. “(With Romano) it takes a certain mentality to close out games, let alone a one-run game against the top of their order. Very nice to have him back and look forward to having that group down there for a while.”

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RALLY TIME

For a team that has had so much trouble scoring runs in critical situations, the Jays finally had something go their way in the eighth inning.

A leadoff walk by pinch hitter Nathan Lukes started it, followed by a Whit Merrifield single. When Vlad Guerrero Jr. walked to load the bases, the Jays thought they had the winning run on a George Springer grounder, only to see Lukes thrown out in a tight play at the plate.

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Alas, Cavan Biggio was hit by a wild pitch from Seranthony Dominguez to bring in Merrifield with the go-ahead run. While more of a painful RBI than a powerful one, it was reflective of the contributions Biggio has been making lately.

“We worked some walks, we battled,” said Biggio, who had a pair of walks off of Wheeler.  “From our hitters, we saw a lot of pitches and we were able to get on base. Being able to manufacture a run was huge especially with Romano coming in.”

It was another clutch night for Merrifield, who had a pair of hits and now has 42 since the all-star break, most in the AL. Over his previous 34 games, Merrifield is hitting a lofty .353 and a tidy .304 on the season.

WHAT ABOUT BO?

The latest step on shortstop Bo Bichette’s return to the lineup was washed out Tuesday night in Buffalo where the all-star was scheduled to be the DH for the triple-A Bisons.

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The initial plan was to follow that outing with a game in the field on Wednesday as Bichette recovers from patellar tendinitis in his right knee. It remains to be seen what the amended plan will be after the untimely rainout.

The Jays are certainly being cautious with Bichette, though a return to the big club this weekend remains a possibility. There certainly is a need for the return of the team’s most prolific bat.

Meanwhile, the rains at Sahlen Field also wiped out a scheduled outing for reliever Chad Green, who is cleared to return from his rehab assignment after suffering a concussion last week. Another reliever, Trevor Richards, was also slated to get some work.

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