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Mariners Aim to Prevent Series Sweep Against the Blue Jays

Originally posted on The Forkball | By Mo Arslan | Last updated 4/10/24

When Bo Bichette looks for power hits, he tends to struggle. Despite getting two hits on Opening Day, the Toronto Blue Jays shortstop only managed one hit in the following five games.

He adjusted his approach over the weekend and hit his first home run of the season on Tuesday, helping the Blue Jays secure a 5-3 victory against the Seattle Mariners. Bichette and the Blue Jays will try to complete a three-game sweep of their first home series against the Mariners at the newly renovated Rogers Centre on Wednesday afternoon.Bichette ended his slump by getting two hits in four at-bats, including a double, on Saturday against the Yankees in New York. He also hit a double on Sunday and Monday before hitting a home run off Seattle starter George Kirby.

“I was probably trying to do too much damage. That’s not me. That happens by accident,” Bichette said of his power. “I’m a hitter first. I just came to that realization. I was pretty bad to start. I’m starting to feel a little bit like myself again.”

Bichette’s Home Run and Manager’s Remarks

Bichette hit into a double play against Kirby to end the inning in the first, then followed up with a 431-foot home run into the second deck in left field in the third. “These last few days, he’s hitting the ball really hard. Bo is one of the best hitters in the league,” Blue Jays manager John Schneider said. “I think everyone knows that now. Huge hit (Tuesday), but he’s right there where he needs to be. The at-bats have been really consistent as of late.”

Blue Jays’ Victory and Players’ Performance

Isiah Kiner-Falefa recorded three hits, George Springer had two RBIs, and Chris Bassitt only allowed one run in 6 2/3 innings as the Blue Jays secured their first back-to-back wins of the 2024 season. “This lineup has given me a lot of trouble so I knew that I had to do things, I would say, off script,” Bassitt said. “I kind of mixed up how I pitched a little bit.”

Mariners’ Performance and Manager’s Remarks

Mitch Haniger and Dominic Canzone hit home runs for Seattle, who have suffered three consecutive losses and six losses in their last seven games. “It was a frustrating night,” Mariners manager Scott Servais said. “This hasn’t been a good road trip. It hasn’t been a good start to the season.”

Upcoming Match and Pitchers’ Performance

Seattle’s Logan Gilbert, who has yet to record a win with a 3.55 ERA, is set to pitch against Toronto’s Yusei Kikuchi, a former Mariner, who has a 0-1 record with a 2.79 ERA. Gilbert pitched seven innings in his first start of the season, allowing one run on four hits, but did not receive a decision in a 4-3 win against Boston. In his last outing in Milwaukee, he gave up four runs on five hits in 5 2/3 innings as the Mariners lost 6-5 to the Brewers. Gilbert has a career record of 0-2 with a 6.95 ERA in four starts against Toronto. Kikuchi, who lost his first start of the season to Tampa Bay, surrendered three runs on six hits in 4 1/3 innings.

In his most recent start against the Yankees, he pitched 5 1/3 scoreless innings but did not factor into the decision in a 3-0 win.

Kikuchi, who previously played for the Mariners before joining Toronto as a free agent in 2022, has a record of 1-0 with a 0.00 ERA in his two previous starts against Seattle.

This article first appeared on The Forkball and was syndicated with permission.

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