Yusei Kikuchi pitches 6 scoreless innings to lead Angels to a 6-1 win over the Pirates

Pittsburgh (AP) — Yusei Kikuchi outpitched the Pittsburgh Pirates, tossing six flawless innings and securing his maiden victory of the season. The Los Angeles Angels secured a 6-1 triumph over their division rivals in a match played on Saturday night.

Kikuchi, who had previously gone 1-5, allowed five hits and three base on balls while striking out six batters. This performance marked his third start since returning from left shoulder inflammation that had sidelined him since late April. The 35-year-old, a two-time All-Star, last secured a win on September 24, 2025, as the Angels defeated the Royals 3-2.

Pittsburgh's starting pitcher, Braxton Ashcraft (14-6), struck out nine batters but surrendered three runs on seven hits in five innings. After Wade Meckler's double into shallow left field with one out in the fourth, Moisés Ballesteros hit a sharp single under second baseman Nick Gonzales' glove, scoring Meckler from second. Josh Lowe opened the fifth inning with a 410-foot home run, his 11th of the season, to extend the Angels' lead to 3-0.

Zach Neto's three singles in the sixth inning solidified the gap, and Esmerlyn Valdez and Bryan Reynolds added to Pittsburgh's struggles.

Kikuchi continued his dominance, retiring Oneil Cruz, forcing Nick Gonzales into a force out, and getting Rafael Flores Jr. to fly out to center, effectively ending the Pirates' scoring threat. The Angels extended their lead to 6-0 in the seventh inning. Josh Lowe and Moekler, respectively, contributed with an RBI single and a two-out double, pushing the score further. Bryan Reynolds closed the scoring for the Pirates with a two-out home run, their 16th of the season, in the eighth inning.