Yusei Kikuchi made a point of watching Masahiro Tanaka growing up in Japan, whether he was pitching in his home country or once Tanaka got to the majors with the New York Yankees.
It wasw understandable that Kikuchi was more than a little excited about the prospect of pitching against Tanaka yesterday night, when the Seattle Mariners were to host the Yankees.
“First and foremost, when [manager Scott Servais] told me I was facing the Yankees, I was very pumped to face a team like this,” Kikuchi said through an interpreter on Monday. “Also on top of that, it’s Mr Tanaka on the other side. It’s going to be a very special game and moment for me.”
It will be the first meeting on the mound between the Japanese stars. Tanaka is the established veteran and two-time All-Star on his way to pitching in the post-season for the fourth time in his career. Kikuchi is still making the adjustment to the majors in his first year in Seattle.
Kikuchi (5-8, 5.19 ERA) is coming into the matchup on a high after throwing a two-hitter against Toronto in his last start on Aug. 18.
“He’s a guy that came to the states before me and put up a lot of good numbers, so he’s a role model to look up to,” Kikuchi said. “To everyone back home, I want to show him a really good matchup and go out there and compete for my team and show the fans what we are made of.”
Tanaka has been in enough big moments in the majors that while he acknowledged the significance of the meeting, it was also in the context of New York being in the middle of a pennant race and Seattle in the midst of a rebuild.
Tanaka (9-7, 4.68) has won two of his past three decisions, but lost in his last start against Oakland.
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