Angels’ Josh Lowe (3) celebrates while rounding the bases on his home run off Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Braxton Ashcraft during the fourth inning of a baseball game in Pittsburgh, Saturday, Sept. 5, 2026. (AP Photo/Tom E. Puskar)
Angels’ Wade Meckler, right, celebrates with Christian Moore (4) after scoring on a single hit by Moisés Ballesteros off Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Braxton Ashcraft during the fourth inning of a baseball game in Pittsburgh, Saturday, Sept. 5, 2026. (AP Photo/Tom E. Puskar)
Angels’ Yusei Kikuchi delivers a pitch against the Pittsburgh Pirates during the first inning of a baseball game in Pittsburgh, Saturday, Sept. 5, 2026. (AP Photo/Tom E. Puskar)
Angels’ Mike Trout, left, slides past Pittsburgh Pirates catcher Rafael Flores Jr., right, to score on a double hit by Wade Meckler during the seventh inning of a baseball game in Pittsburgh, Saturday, Sept. 5, 2026. (AP Photo/Tom E. Puskar)
Angels’ Mike Trout is hit by a pitch from Pittsburgh Pirates’ Yohan Ramírez during the ninth inning of a baseball game in Pittsburgh, Saturday, Sept. 5, 2026. (AP Photo/Tom E. Puskar)
Angels’ Mike Trout singles off Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Isaac Mattson to drive in a run during the seventh inning of a baseball game in Pittsburgh, Saturday, Sept. 5, 2026. (AP Photo/Tom E. Puskar)
Angels manager Kurt Suzuki stands in the dugout during the second inning of a baseball game against the Pittsburgh Pirates in Pittsburgh, Saturday, Sept. 5, 2026. (AP Photo/Tom E. Puskar)
Angels third baseman Denzer Guzman (23) tags out Pittsburgh Pirates’ Oneil Cruz (15) who was attempting to steal third during the eighth inning of a baseball game in Pittsburgh, Saturday, Sept. 5, 2026. (AP Photo/Tom E. Puskar)
Angels’ Josh Lowe (3) celebrates on his way back to the dugout after hiting a home run off Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Braxton Ashcraft during the fifth inning of a baseball game in Pittsburgh, Saturday, Sept. 5, 2026. (AP Photo/Tom E. Puskar)
PITTSBURGH — Yusei Kikuchi was able to pitch through traffic – and some cramps – to keep the Pittsburgh Pirates off the plate Saturday at PNC Park, tossing six scoreless frames to set the pace for a 6-1 Angels win.
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Kikuchi earned his first win of the season and the Angels emerged victorious in one of his starts for the first time since March 27, the second game of the season. A trip to the 60-day injured list in May for left shoulder inflammation stretched out that streak, which totaled eight starts.
The losing streak was one thing, but even a trip to the injured list was a fairly new experience for Kikuchi, who had made at least 29 starts in every season since joining the majors in 2019 – sans the shortened 2020 campaign – and tied for the American League lead with 33 starts last season.
“That was my first time not throwing this long in my professional career,” Kikuchi said, via interpreter Koki Goto. “Especially with a complex location in the shoulder, I wasn’t sure if I could come back. It was a 50/50 that I could come back.”
Saturday was Kikuchi’s second quality start in his three outings since returning from the injured list on Aug. 23. He worked around five hits and three walks and struck out six.
“The stuff’s been there since he’s come back, and now he’s getting a little more consistent,” manager Kurt Suzuki said of Kikuchi’s recent outings. “He’s been working on some stuff in the bullpen pitch-wise, trying to make it better. I think everything is kind of coming together and it’s very nice to see.”
Kikuchi opened with three perfect innings, but the Pirates were able to get the leadoff man on in each of the next three innings. That included being able to open the sixth by putting runners on the corners with nobody out, but Kikuchi was able to strike out Oneil Cruz before Nick Gonzales and Rafael Flores Jr. made unproductive outs to end the inning.
Kikuchi was visited in the fifth and sixth innings by the training staff after experiencing some general cramping in his calf and gut, which he attributed to the humidity. He was able to finish both frames without further issue.
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Pirates starter Braxton Ashcraft got off to a hot start, tossing three scoreless frames while striking out seven of his first 12 batters faced, but a fourth-inning double by Wade Meckler and a Moisés Ballesteros base hit got the Angels on the board.
Josh Lowe, who was seeing his first game action since being scratched from Wednesday’s lineup with neck stiffness, homered to the bushes in center to open the fifth, and Zach Neto plated Denzer Guzman with a single later in the inning.
Ashcraft was chased after just 67 pitches over five innings, allowing three runs on seven hits. He struck out nine.
The Angels tacked on a trio of runs in the seventh on a Mike Trout single and a two-run Meckler double. The Pirates’ lone run came on a Bryan Reynolds solo home run off Luke Murphy in the eighth. José Fermin worked around a walk and a hit to close the contest.
Trout was hit in the left hand by a Yohan Ramírez sweeper in the ninth inning and was lifted for pinch-runner Jose Siri. He had an X-ray after the game, but Suzuki described the extra look as a “just in case” situation. Trout and Suzuki shared a smile and a high five going back into the clubhouse postgame and after that examination.
Trout went 2 for 4 with a run scored, an RBI and that hit by pitch.
Meckler went 2 for 5 with two doubles, two RBIs and a run scored, helping the Angels shrug off being shut out Friday night.
“It’s nice to get your starting pitcher a win,” Meckler said. “Obviously our starters have been throwing the ball really, really well, especially over the last few weeks. We haven’t been able to get them as many wins as they probably should be getting. It feels good to get the starter out with the lead.”
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