Mar 21, 2019; Tokyo,JPN; Seattle Mariners starting pitcher Yusei Kikuchi (18) throws a pitch during the fifth inning against the Oakland Athletics at Tokyo Dome. Photo Credit: Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports
Yusei Kikuchi made his first road start for the Seattle Mariners in his homeland of Japan last week.
Now, the left-hander will make his home debut in his adopted country, as he’s scheduled to pitch Friday night when the Mariners play host to Boston. Right-hander Nathan Eovaldi is set to make his 2019 debut for the Red Sox.
Kikuchi, who was battling an illness, opened with four scoreless innings against Oakland at the Tokyo Dome before tiring in the fifth, when he gave up two runs (one earned) on three hits.
That game also happened to be the finale for Mariners outfielder Ichiro Suzuki, Kikuchi’s boyhood idol, who announced his retirement.
“It’s hard to put into words, but it’s going to be a day I’m never going to forget,” Kikuchi said through an interpreter. “The story of Ichiro — he’s such a legend that I didn’t even know if he was a real person. When I first signed with the Mariners, I had to see if he was real, first and foremost. Then I got to this team and first met him; he’s given me so much advice about life and how to live, and I’m going to take that with me forever.”
Kikuchi, 27, signed a four-year, $56 million contract with the Mariners in the offseason, in part because of their unique approach to maintaining his health. In an effort to avoid the arm problems experienced by Japanese pitchers such as Shohei Ohtani, Yu Darvish and Daisuke Matsuzaka, the Mariners plan to limit Kikuchi to about 170 innings this season and approximately once a month will use him as an opener, pitching only the first inning.
“I don’t think we want to deviate,” Mariners manager Scott Servais said of the plan. “We’ll have to look at this as we get into the end of April and see how he’s holding up and where it’s at. But yes, when you come up with a plan, you have to stay true to it. You can’t get caught up in the, ‘Oh, he’s throwing great. We can’t shut him down now.’ We want to be smart. We’re playing for the long haul.”
Eovaldi, one of the Red Sox’s World Series heroes last season, also is focused on staying healthy. He has pitched just one complete season (2015) in his seven-year career.
“I’ve always tried to learn more ways to stay healthy, to take care of my body better and I feel like I’ve been able to stick to a good diet and good work habits and hopefully it will allow me to stay healthy the whole season,” Eovaldi, who got a four-year, $68 million deal in the offseason, told the Boston Herald. “I’ve been feeling really good and ready to go (Friday).”
Red Sox manager Alex Cora said he expects a big year from Eovaldi.
“What did he show us last year — that stuff-wise, he’s up there with the best of the league,” Cora said. “The guy’s not afraid. He doesn’t put too much pressure on himself. He enjoys the game. He’s a workaholic in the weight room. He’s a great teammate. I’m glad he’s back with us.”
Eovaldi is 0-0 with a 2.12 ERA in three career starts against Seattle.
The Mariners won the series opener 12-4 Thursday behind five home runs, including two by Tim Beckham.
