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

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Yusei Kikuchi pitched six scoreless innings and earned his first win of the season as the Los Angeles Angels beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 6-1 on Saturday night.

Kikuchi (1-5) allowed five hits and three walks while striking out six in his third start since returning Aug. 23 from left shoulder inflammation that kept him out since late April. The 35-year-old two-time All-Star last won in his final start last season, giving up one run in five innings as the Angels topped the Royals 3-2 on Sept. 24, 2025.

Pirates starter Braxton Ashcraft (14-6) struck out nine, but allowed three runs on seven hits in five innings. The 26-year-old right-hander struck out seven while allowing one hit through 3 1/3 innings before Wade Meckler doubled into shallow left field with one out in the fourth. Moisés Ballesteros hit a sharp two-out single under the glove of second baseman Nick Gonzales, scoring Meckler from second.

Josh Lowe led off the fifth with a 410-foot shot to center field for his 11th homer of the season. Denzer Guzman followed with a single to left, moved to second on Adam Frazier’s sacrifice bunt and extended the lead to 3-0 by scoring on the first of Zach Neto's three singles.

Esmerlyn Valdez walked and Bryan Reynolds singled to start the sixth for Pittsburgh. Kikuchi then struck out Oneil Cruz, forced Nick Gonzales into a force out and erased the threat by getting Rafael Flores Jr. to fly out to center.

The Angels tacked on three runs in the seventh. Mike Trout hit an RBI single through the left side of the infield and Meckler drove in two more with a double to right-center.

Reynolds hit a two-out home run, his 16th of the season and first since July 28. It was a 421-foot shot over the right-field wall in the eighth for the Pirates' lone run.

Pirates RHP Paul Skenes (9-11, 3.97 ERA) starts Sunday's series finale against Angels RHP Walbert Ureña (9-9, 2.85).

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