Yusei Kikuchi may be a pitcher Toronto Blue Jays.
But after a bizarre collision with Oakland Athletics first baseman Tyler Soderstrom on Sunday, members of the Blue Jays social media community think the Japanese left-hander could be a slugger in other sports.
In the 10th inning of Sunday's game against Oakland, Kikuchi suddenly rushed out of the dugout and collided with an opponent, causing his team to lose an out.
With the Blue Jays leading 6-3 in the top of the 10th inning, Davis Snyder hit a fly ball into foul territory near the Toronto dugout. Jays players watching from their bench scattered as Athletics first baseman Tyler Soderstrom chased the ball.
“Every time you watch a baseball game, you see something you’ve never seen before,” baseball columnist Mike Wilner wrote in an article for X Sunday (formerly Twitter).
“Today, as #Athletics 1B approached Davis Schneider's foul pin, #Bluejays ' Yusei Kikuchi dropped Tyler Soderstrom like a bad habit.”
Oakland Athletics first baseman Tyler Soderstrom (left) reacts after colliding with Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Yusei Kikuchi (right) while trying to catch a foul ball hit by Davis Schneider during the 10th inning of a baseball game in Oakland, California, June 9, 2024. Schneider was ruled out on the play.
Jeff Chiu/AP
Kikuchi tried to dodge quickly, but bumped into Soderstrom. When the ball landed, both players were knocked to the ground. Soderstrom put on his hat and stretched out his hands, and Kikuchi also stretched out his hands, as if to apologize.
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After discussing, the umpires ruled Schneider out because he obstructed the red-faced Kikuchi's bat, which was the second out of the inning.
“Obviously, I was embarrassed,” Kikuchi said through an interpreter.
“Now it's probably gone viral… I feel terrible and I want to apologise.”
The Oakland Coliseum is the only major league stadium without railings in front of the dugout.
“I realized at the last minute that there was no fence in the dugout in Oakland,” Kikuchi said.
“I realised it a little too late… I just wanted to dig a little hole and hide in it because I was a little embarrassed.”
Toronto manager John Schneider acknowledged that Soderstrom likely caught the ball, but the Blue Jays ultimately defeated the A's 6-4 in 10 innings.
“I was just chasing the ball,” Soderstrom said afterward.
“Obviously, there were a lot of out-of-bounds areas. I was just trying to get the ball, but at the last second, I tried to move to the left and Kikuchi was there.”
Regardless, the Blue Jays community cherished the moment on social media.
“Yusei Kikuchi is ready for the NFL season,” @BlueJays_Muse wrote on X.
“Yusei Kikuchi shows absolutely no mercy,” said @ETreuden.
“Kuch knew what he was doing. He dropped his shoulder and hammered away. We love you Kikuchi!!,” said @DevonESawa.
—AP file
© 2024 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
