Blue Jays Takeaways: Kikuchi Debuts, Moreno In Triple A, and More

Lefty Yusei Kikuchi made his Blue Jays debut and prospect catcher Gabriel Moreno began his 2022 season in Triple A

Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports

Yusei Kikuchi raised his hat to left field, waiving his new Blue Jay cap in appreciation.

After Aaron Judge turned on a Kikuchi cutter down the middle and began his home run trot, Lourdes Gurriel Jr. climbed the Yankee stadium wall and stole a hit. Three pitches later, Toronto’s defense stole Kikuchi another out as Teoscar Hernández gunned Josh Donaldson out at the plate.

After signing a three-year, $36 million contract, Kikuchi’s Blue Jay debut began with a walk and three hard-hit balls. But with stout fielding, the lefty navigated the first frame. He wasn't as fortunate moving forward.

Below, find three Blue Jays takeaways from Tuesday's loss to the Yankees and Gabriel Moreno's 2022 Triple A debut:

Kikuchi Hit Hard

In the second inning, Hernández leaped for another ball at the wall but came up empty—only so many highlight real catches to go around.

Yankee Stadium was the only park Aaron Hicks' opposite-field homer would've left, but it scored New York's first two runs of the game, nonetheless. Kikuchi settled down a bit in the third but lasted just 3.1 innings. The lefty finished with two earned runs and two strikeouts on 86 pitches. 

Kikuchi faced 16 Yankee hitters in his Toronto debut and allowed nine hard-hit balls against (over 95 MPH exit velocity). 

Only two of the five hardest-hit balls Kikuchi allowed fell for hits / Baseball Savant

Cortes Cuts Up Blue Jays' Lineup

A night after three three-hit performances carried the Jays over New York, Nestor Cortes and the Yankees' pitchers carved up Toronto’s lineup.

Mixing the four-seam, cutter, and slider, Cortes kept Blue Jay hitters focused on the outside corner before busting in with the breaking pitch. With complete control, Cortes induced four weakly hit flyouts and notched five strikeouts without a walk.

When Cortes left after 4.1 innings, the lineup carving continued with New York's bullpen. The Jays failed to score a run on five hits, shut out for the first time this season.

Moreno Makes 2022 Bisons Debut

On the other side of New York state, another 2022 debut captivated Blue Jays fans.

After an injury-shortened 2021 and delayed spring training arrival, Gabriel Moreno quickly returned to production during his first real game action this year.

After hacking three fouls off former Toronto righty Aaron Sanchez, Moreno watched a breaking ball to the edge of the zone before whipping his bat around and dropping a single into the outfield grass. He finished with two singles in five plate appearances for the Triple A Buffalo Bisons.

Moreno singled in his first at-bat for the Buffalo Bisons

Moreno earned a Triple A assignment after soaring up industry prospect rankings in 2021. He's mashed at every level, posting a career .857 OPS in the minors, but flashed the other side of his game on Tuesday.

With two outs in the bottom of the first, Rochester hitter Jake Noll hacked up a high fly ball that Moreno initially thought was heading out of bounds. When the 22-year-old realized the towering fly would stay in play, he bolted for the backstop, slid, and snatched pitcher Thomas Hatch his second out of the inning. Three pitches later, the catcher fired a throw from behind the plate, gunning down a stealing Red Wing to end the inning.