Kikuchi (1-5) earned the win against the Pirates on Saturday, allowing five hits and three walks while striking out six over six scoreless innings.
Kikuchi earned his first win since Sept. 24, 2025, throwing 58 of 89 pitches for strikes with 14 whiffs. The veteran southpaw has now logged two straight quality starts and owns a 3.50 ERA with a 16:5 K:BB over three outings since returning from the injured list Aug. 23. He'll carry a 4.96 ERA, 1.47 WHIP and 49:19 K:BB across 49 innings this season into a road matchup with the Nationals next weekend.