Yusei Kikuchi secured his first win of the season as the Los Angeles Angels defeated the Pittsburgh Pirates 6-1 on Tuesday night at PNC Park. The left-handed pitcher delivered six scoreless innings, allowing five hits and three walks while striking out six. This marked Kikuchi’s third start since returning from a left shoulder inflammation that sidelined him from late April until August 23. His last victory came in the previous season’s finale, a start against the Kansas City Royals on September 24.
Pirates starter Braxton Ashcraft, who entered the game with a 14-6 record, recorded nine strikeouts but surrendered three runs on seven hits over five innings. Ashcraft retired seven batters via strikeout and allowed only one hit through the first 3 1/3 innings before a pivotal double by Wade Meckler in the fourth inning set the tone. Meckler’s hit into shallow left field put a runner in scoring position. Following that, Moisés Ballesteros broke the scoreless tie with a two-out single into the gap past second baseman Nick Gonzales, allowing Meckler to score.
The Angels extended their lead in the fifth inning. Josh Lowe opened with a 410-foot solo home run to center field, his 11th of the season. After Denzer Guzman reached base with a single and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by Adam Frazier, Zach Neto contributed one of his three singles, driving Guzman home and increasing the Angels’ advantage to 3-0.
Los Angeles added insurance runs in the seventh inning when Mike Trout hit an RBI single through the left side of the infield. Meckler continued his productive day with a two-run double, putting the Angels ahead 6-0. The Pirates managed a lone run late but were unable to mount a comeback against Kikuchi’s steady pitching.
The victory improves Kikuchi’s record to 1-5 on the season, providing a positive momentum boost for the Angels as they continue to navigate the latter part of their schedule. Pittsburgh’s Ashcraft, while strong in strikeouts, was unable to contain the Angels’ offense, particularly in the middle innings that shifted the game firmly in Los Angeles’ favor.