Kikuchi (6-11) gave up two runs on six hits and no walks while striking out four through six innings to take the loss against the Astros on Wednesday.
Kikuchi allowed three hits and two runs in the first inning, but he settled down to fire five consecutive scoreless frames. It was a nice finish to an otherwise ugly stretch for the 28-year-old, as he had a 6.10 ERA in his previous 14 starts. Kikuchi finishes the season with a 5.46 ERA and 116 strikeouts through 161.2 innings.