Kikuchi is slated to start Thursday in Game 3 of the American League Wild Card Series against the Tigers, assuming he's not needed in relief in Game 2 on Wednesday, Chandler Rome of The Athletic reports.
Kikuchi has been told to be ready in relief for Game 2 with the Astros having all hands on deck as they try to avoid elimination. If Houston wins and doesn't have to use Kikuchi on Wednesday, he'll take the ball Thursday. The left-hander was outstanding after being acquired by the Astros at the trade deadline, putting up a 2.70 ERA and 76:14 K:BB over 60 innings.
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Astros' Yusei Kikuchi: Tough-luck loser in quality start
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Kikuchi (9-10) took the loss Wednesday against Seattle, allowing two unearned on four hits and one walk while striking out eight in six innings.
Kikuchi was excellent Wednesday, shutting out the Mariners through five innings before an unfortunate error in the sixth resulted in two unearned runs crossing the plate, giving Kikuchi his first loss since he was acquired by the Astros in late July. The 33-year-old veteran has been a revelation since coming over from Toronto at the All-Star break, posting a 5-1 record with an elite 2.70 ERA, 0.93 WHIP and 76:14 K:BB in 60 innings (10 starts). The southpaw will close out the regular season with a 4.05 ERA, 1.20 WHIP and a career-best 206 strikeouts in 175.2 innings (32 starts).
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Astros' Yusei Kikuchi: Fans nine in quality start
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Kikuchi did not factor into the decision in a win over the Angels on Thursday, allowing one run on five hits and one walk over six innings while striking out nine.
Kikuchi held the Angels' lineup in check after surrendering a leadoff home run to Taylor Ward, allowing just one batter to reach second base from the second inning on. The veteran southpaw induced 14 whiffs on the night while posting at least six strikeouts for the fourth consecutive outing. However, he was unable to come away with his fourth straight win despite his valiant effort. Kikuchi has gone at least six innings in each of his last four outings, logging quality starts in three of them.
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Astros' Yusei Kikuchi: Remains unbeaten with Houston
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Kikuchi (9-9) picked up the win Friday, giving up three runs on three hits and two walks over seven innings in a 5-3 victory over the Angels. He struck out six.
The lefty is now 5-0 over eight starts with the Astros with a 3.19 ERA, 0.94 WHIP and 59:12 K:BB through 48 innings, and he's proven to be one of the most astute acquisitions any team made at this year's trade deadline. Kikuchi's quality start Friday was his 10th of the season, and he'll look to stay locked in when he gets a rematch with the Angels back in Houston next week.
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Astros' Yusei Kikuchi: Carried to eighth win by offense
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Kikuchi (8-9) picked up the win Saturday, giving up four runs on seven hits over six innings in an 11-5 victory over the Diamondbacks. He struck out six without walking a batter.
The lefty served up solo homers to Kevin Newman in the fourth inning and Eugenio Suarez in the sixth, but Kikuchi got more than enough run support to cover for his lapses. He has yet to be tagged with a loss since being traded to the Astros, going 4-0 in seven starts for his new club with a 3.07 ERA, 0.98 WHIP and 53:10 K:BB through 41 innings. Kikuchi will look to keep rolling in his next outing, which is scheduled to come on the road next weekend against the Angels.
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Astros' Yusei Kikuchi: Racks up 12 punchouts in victory
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Kikuchi (7-9) earned the win over Kansas City on Saturday, allowing one run on five hits and no walks while striking out 12 batters over seven innings.
Kikuchi racked up 20 swinging strikes on his way to a season-high 12 punchouts, falling just one K shy of his career-high mark. The southpaw kept the Royals off the board for six frames before allowing a run on a pair of singles and a fielder's choice in the seventh, but he was able to get through that frame with no additional damage to complete seven innings for the first time since July 9. The Astros' trade for Kikuchi at the deadline didn't generate much buzz, but the hurler has been excellent since joining Houston, posting a 2.57 ERA, 0.94 WHIP and 47:10 K:BB over six starts covering 35 frames.
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Astros' Yusei Kikuchi: Allows just two hits in no-decision
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Kikuchi allowed three runs on two hits and three walks while striking out four over 5.2 innings in Sunday's win over the Orioles. He did not factor into the decision.
Kikuchi cruised through four innings but allowed a leadoff single and then a walk in the fifth before Ramon Urias tied the game up with a three-run homer. Kikuchi went on to strike out the next three batters he faced but was pulled after a two-out walk in the sixth. Walks have been an issue for the lefty, as he's issued multiple walks in six of his last eight starts and hasn't reached six innings in any of them. Still, he's been a quality deadline addition for the Astros and now owns a 4.39 ERA, 1.27 WHIP and 165:40 K:BB in 143.2 innings. Kikuchi lines up to face the Royals in his next start over the weekend.
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Astros' Yusei Kikuchi: Fans seven in no-decision
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Kikuchi allowed three runs (one earned) on six hits and one walk while striking out seven batters over 5.2 innings in a no-decision against Boston on Monday.
Kikuchi fell behind early, giving up a leadoff homer to Jarren Duran on the first pitch of the contest. The Red Sox added an unearned run in the frame but managed only one more run -- again unearned -- before Kikuchi's exit with two outs in the sixth inning. Though he hasn't been able to complete six frames in any of his four outings in August, the southpaw has worked into the sixth on each occasion and hasn't given up more than two earned runs. Kikuchi also continues to pile up strikeouts -- he has 31 over 22.1 innings during the four-start stretch and is up to 161 across 138 frames on the campaign.
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Astros' Yusei Kikuchi: Another strong outing
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Kikuchi (6-9) earned the win Tuesday over the Rays, allowing one run on three hits over 5.2 innings. He struck out five.
Kikuchi allowed a lone run in the second inning before rebounding to retire 12 of the final 14 batters he faced en route to a 3-2 Astros win. The 33-year-old Kikuchi has allowed just five runs in three starts (16.2 innings) since joining Houston after struggling to a 7.75 ERA in his final eight outings with the Blue Jays. Overall, the left-hander sports a 4.49 ERA with a 1.29 WHIP and 154:36 K:BB through 132.1 innings this year. Kikuchi is currently lined up to face the Red Sox at home early next week in his next start.
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Astros' Yusei Kikuchi: Strikes out 11 in Astros debut
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Kikuchi did not factor into the decision in Friday's 3-2 win over the Rays. He allowed two runs on three hits and three walks with 11 strikeouts over 5.2 innings.
Kikuchi gave up a double and home run to the first two batters he faced as a member of the Astros and then proceeded to get 17 outs while giving up one hit. The 11 strikeouts were the most by an Astros pitcher in his team debut since Gerrit Cole in 2018 and tied for the fourth most in a debut in team history. Kikuchi now has 43 strikeouts in his last five starts (26.1 innings), but he's also allowed 20 runs in that stretch.
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Astros' Yusei Kikuchi: Team debut coming Friday
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Kikuchi is scheduled to make his first start with the Astros on Friday versus the Rays in Houston, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.
The Astros didn't need to open up a spot in their rotation for Kikuchi, as fifth starter Jake Bloss was sent back to Toronto along with outfielder Joey Loperfido and infielder Will Wagner in Monday's trade that landed the veteran southpaw in Houston. Kikuchi had cruised to a 2.64 ERA and 1.12 WHIP while delivering quality starts in six of his first 10 outings with Toronto this season, but aside from a career-best 13-strikeout effort July 9 in San Francisco, he had often been knocked around by opposing lineups over the past two months before being traded. He posted a strong 69:17 K:BB in 57.2 innings in his final 12 starts with Toronto but he also gave up 13 home runs during that stretch, which led to an inflated 6.87 ERA and 1.56 WHIP.
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Blue Jays' Yusei Kikuchi: Stumbles late in loss
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Kikuchi (4-9) took the loss against the Tigers on Saturday, allowing four runs on five hits and two walks with eight strikeouts over five innings.
Kikuchi allowed one run over his first five frames but loaded the bases to open the sixth. He was pulled at 94 pitches and all three inherited runners scored on a grand slam. The southpaw generated an impressive 15 swinging strikes, but he has now yielded at least four earned runs in six of his past 10 starts and hasn't won a game since June 11. On the season, he owns a 4.54 ERA, 1.31 WHIP and 125:28 K:BB over 111 innings and lines up for a home matchup with the Rangers next week.
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Blue Jays' Yusei Kikuchi: Can't escape disastrous fifth
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Kikuchi allowed seven runs on six hits and three walks while striking out six over 4.2 innings Sunday against the Diamondbacks. He did not factor into the decision.
Kikuchi had no trouble getting through four innings and went into the fifth with a 7-0 lead that quickly evaporated. Kikuchi loaded the bases after allowing an infield single and two walks before Ketel Marte took him deep. Kikuchi was left in the game and could not help his own cause. He allowed another walk and a base hit before punching out Christian Walker for the second out of the inning. From there, Kikuchi gave up another run-scoring single and then hit Jake McCarthy before he finally was pulled from the game. Both inherited runners went on to score before the frame concluded. The seven runs allowed were Kikuchi's most in a game this season and he now has not picked up a win since June 11. The lefty will head into the break with a 4.42 ERA, 1.30 WHIP and 117:26 K:BB in 106 innings.
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Blue Jays' Yusei Kikuchi: Strong start goes to waste
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Kikuchi did not factor into the decision in Tuesday's 4-3 loss to the Giants. He allowed two runs on six hits and struck out 13 over 7.1 innings while not walking a batter.
Kikuchi set a new career high with 13 strikeouts in this one and notched his fifth career 10-strikeout game. Both runs against him came via the long ball. Heliot Ramos took him deep in the fourth and then Tyler Fitzgerald led off the eighth with a solo blast, which ended Kikuchi's night at 100 pitches. He was still in line for the win at that point with the Blue Jays leading 3-2, but that lead was eventually squandered in the ninth. Tuesday's outing certainly boosted Kikuchi's trade value if the Blue Jays end up selling at the deadline. However, he does have a 6.38 ERA and has given up eight homers over his last five starts. For the year, Kikuchi owns a 4.00 ERA, 1.27 WHIP and 111:23 K:BB in 101.1 innings. He lines up for another start over the weekend against the Diamondbacks before the All-Star break.
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Blue Jays' Yusei Kikuchi: Just misses quality start
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Kikuchi allowed two runs on five hits and two walks while striking out five batters over 5.2 innings in a no-decision against Houston on Wednesday.
Kikuchi gave up just one run through five frames before serving up a solo shot to Yordan Alvarez in the sixth. The southpaw got two more outs in the inning but was pulled one out shy of a quality start following a Jeremy Pena double. Despite that disappointment, this was a positive outing for Kikuchi after he had given up 13 runs across 11 frames over his final three starts of June. The hurler has fallen off after a strong start to the campaign -- across his past eight appearances, he has just one quality start while registering a 6.50 ERA, 1.61 WHIP and 37:10 K:BB across 36 innings.
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Blue Jays' Yusei Kikuchi: Fans seven in Friday's loss
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Kikuchi (4-8) took the loss Friday as the Blue Jays were routed 16-5 by the Yankees, giving up four runs on four hits and a walk over five-plus innings. He struck out seven.
The southpaw was sharp to begin the game and actually took a 3-1 lead into the top of the sixth inning, but after allowing two straight singles to open the frame, Juan Soto flipped the script with a three-run blast that chased Kikuchi from the game. Kikuchi has been tagged for 13 runs in only 11 innings over his last three starts, inflating his ERA to 4.18 with a 1.31 WHIP and 93:21 K:BB through 88.1 innings. He'll look to turn things around in his next outing, which is scheduled to come at home next week against the Astros.
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Blue Jays' Yusei Kikuchi: Tagged with five runs
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Kikuchi (4-6) allowed five runs on seven hits over four innings Monday, striking out seven and taking a loss against Boston.
Kikuchi was cursed by the long ball Monday, coughing up four solo shots in the first three innings. Tyler O'Neill accounted for two of them, including in the first inning when he went back-to-back with Rafael Devers. Kikuchi had allowed just four home runs over his previous six starts entering Monday and had not given up multiple long balls in any start this season. He's registered a 6.17 ERA over his last five starts, bumping his season ERA to 3.65 through 81.1 frames. Kikuchi's next start is projected to be in Cleveland.
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Blue Jays' Yusei Kikuchi: Strong again Tuesday
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Kikuchi (4-5) allowed three hits and four walks while striking out five over five shutout innings to earn the win over the Brewers on Tuesday.
Kikuchi's four walks ran up his pitch count quickly, but it was an otherwise strong performance. This was just the second time in his last 11 outings that he's walked multiple batters. The southpaw has won his last two starts and now has a 3.26 ERA on the year with a 1.23 WHIP and 76:19 K:BB through 77.1 innings over 14 starts. Kikuchi's next start is projected to be at home versus the Red Sox.
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Blue Jays' Yusei Kikuchi: Sharp in third win
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Kikuchi (3-5) earned the win Thursday over Baltimore, allowing one run on four hits and a walk over six innings. He struck out six.
Kikuchi held the Orioles scoreless through his first five innings, ultimately allowing a lone run on an Adley Rutschman solo home run in the sixth. It was an encouraging rebound effort from the 32-year-old left-hander, who'd given up 10 earned runs over just 8.1 innings in his previous two outings. Kikuchi lowered his ERA to 3.48 on the campaign with a 1.22 WHIP and 71:15 K:BB across 13 starts (72.1 innings). Kikuchi is currently scheduled to face the Brewers on the road in his next outing.
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Blue Jays' Yusei Kikuchi: Shaky in Saturday's loss
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Kikuchi (2-5) took the loss Saturday as the Blue Jays fell 8-1 to the Pirates, coughing up six runs (five earned) on nine hits and a walk over 5.1 innings. He struck out four.
Pittsburgh jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first inning, and while Kikuchi was able to avoid an early exit, he still wound up putting extra pressure on a Toronto bullpen that had already been taxed by a 14-inning game Friday. The southpaw left the mound after 89 pitches (61 strikes), and he's been tagged for 10 earned runs in 8.1 frames over his last two starts -- a far cry from the prior six weeks, during which he delivered six quality starts in eight outings with a 2.61 ERA. Kikuchi will look to rebound when he next takes the mound, which is scheduled to come at home next week against the Orioles.
