Angels Get Another Strong Start From A Returning Veteran

The Los Angeles Angels have been getting some amazingly good starting pitching yesterday, and left-hander Yusei Kikuchi joined the pitching party yesterday with a seven-inning effort that put to rest some issues that occurred during his final rehab start. 

Kikuchi was placed on the IL early in the season with a shoulder problem, and rest and rehab was the diagnosis. But Kikuchi was hit hard during his final rehab start at Single-A Rancho Cucamonga, and the Angels considered having him make another one. 

But the left-hander insisted that he was ready, and he went out and proved it yesterday against the Philadelphia Phillies, even though the Angels wound up losing 5-2 after the bullpen had yet another breakdown. 

“My fastball command is something I've been working on for the whole season, not only with the fastball, but all pitches,” Kikuchi said through interpreter Koki Goto in a piece from Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com. “In my recent starts, I was able to get strikes, get ahead in the count, so I think I'm going in a good trend right now. But the two homers allowed were in the heart of the zone, so in the times that matter, I need to execute it more in a tougher spot.”

Both of the home runs were solo shots, however, and the Angels will take seven strong innings of two-run ball every day of the week from Kikuchi. The homers came from J.T. Realmuto and Edmundo Sosa, but Kikuchi settle down to get 11 of the next 14 hitters he faced. 

“I thought Kikuchi was great,” manager Kurt Suzuki said. “The stuff was there last outing, it's just today was a little bit more consistent. I felt like the location on his fastball was better. Used some breaking balls. Seven innings, two runs and it was two solo shots, so I thought he pitched great.”

Kikuchi will undoubtedly slot into the rotation for the rest of the year now, but his role forward remains unclear. That’s the case for every starter, with Suzuki being a lame-duck manager and interim GM John Mozeliak not having chosen his successor. Kikuchi’s next goal will be to further lower is ERA of 5.65, and yesterday it looked like he had the stuff to do it. 

“I think my fastball was really good today, especially the fastball command,” Kikuchi said. “Being able to pitch inside, east-west, where I wanted to, I had no complaints.”