ANAHEIM -- For as well as lefty Yusei Kikuchi has pitched this season, he has had trouble with his control and hasn’t been able to go deep into games as a result.
But Kikuchi was much better in that regard against the Athletics on Monday night, as he walked just one and threw a season-high 7 1/3 innings in a 7-4 win in the series opener at Angel Stadium. The left-hander allowed only one hit.
Kikuchi, who improved to 2-5 with a 2.92 ERA, hadn’t gone deeper than six innings in any of his previous 13 starts this season. It was his longest outing since also going 7 1/3 innings against the Giants on July 9, 2024, while with the Blue Jays.
“The relievers, they've been throwing quite a bit,” Kikuchi said through interpreter Yusuke Oshima. “So I just wanted to stay out there for as long as possible.
“I was attacking the zone really well today. As you can see, I only gave up one walk. The mentality of just pounding the zone, I think that really helped today."
Kikuchi was much more efficient against the A’s, as he didn’t allow a baserunner until giving up a one-out single to Max Muncy on a hard grounder into left field in the fifth inning. Muncy stole second and Luis Urías walked to put two runners on, which prompted a mound visit from manager Ron Washington. But Kikuchi got Willie MacIver to ground out to third base on a nice play by Kevin Newman to end the inning.
“He located his fastball,” Washington said. “He threw some sliders that were down and in. That was his signature pitch last year. He got some curveballs in there. Moved the ball around. He worked fast. He got quick outs. That's what you want.”
Muncy and Urías were the only two baserunners to reach against Kikuchi, who has been dominant at home this season. He has posted a 1.05 ERA in six starts at Angel Stadium compared with a 4.43 ERA in eight road outings.
“The fans are always great, very supportive, and you can't complain about the weather,” Kikuchi said. “It's nice out here. So I think that's why.”
Kikuchi, signed to a three-year deal worth $66 million in the offseason, again leaned heavily on his slider, throwing it 44 times out of his 104 pitches. The pitch helped him register eight of his 11 swings and misses, as he struck out five, including four with the slider.
“I think this was the best that I’ve seen Kikuchi, and I’ve seen him quite a bit over the years,” said A’s manager Mark Kotsay. “He did a phenomenal job of keeping the ball out of the middle of the plate and mixing the slider with that fastball.”
Kikuchi came back out for the eighth, having thrown 94 pitches, but struck out rookie Nick Kurtz with a slider to end a 10-pitch at-bat to end his night on a positive note.
“It was a tough battle there, obviously,” Kikuchi said. “I just didn't want to put any extra pressure on the relievers and make sure I got him out. So I think, all in all, it ended well with the strikeout there.”
Right-hander Connor Brogdon relieved him but surrendered a single to Urías and a two-run homer to JJ Bleday.
But the offense backed Kikuchi with a three-run third inning against lefty Jeffrey Springs. Zach Neto, Nolan Schanuel and Mike Trout connected on consecutive RBI singles, which helped Schanuel make up for being robbed of a home run on a spectacular leaping catch in center field from Denzel Clarke in the first inning.
“I sat here for like, 10 minutes watching over and over,” Schanuel said. “It stings, but it’s kind of like I get to be a little part of history with it -- because we'll see that catch for years and years. So it's pretty cool, especially since we won and I can laugh about it. But if we lost by one run, then it would be a different story.”
Jo Adell hit a solo homer in the fourth innings, giving him 12 homers on the year and six over his last 12 games. Adell also added a two-run single to right as part of a three-run eighth inning and credited Kikuchi for keeping things in rhythm.
“He was amazing tonight,” Adell said. “And it just kept the tempo of the game in a good place and allowed us to get back to the batter’s box.”