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Yusei Kikuchi gets back on track despite Angels' loss to Padres
TL;DR
Yusei Kikuchi of the Los Angeles Angels aimed for personal redemption in his start against the San Diego Padres on April 18, 2026, despite the team's loss. He entered the game with a 7.50 ERA and sought to improve his performance.
Key points
- Yusei Kikuchi pitched for the Los Angeles Angels
- The game was against the San Diego Padres
- Kikuchi had a 7.50 ERA before the game
- He was looking for personal redemption
- The Angels lost the game
Los Angeles AngelsSan Diego PadresYusei Kikuchi
The Los Angeles Angels Yusei Kikuchi #16 pitches during an MLB game against the San Diego Padres, April 18th, 2026 in Anaheim California.
ANAHEIM, Calif. - Yusei Kikuchi went into Saturday night needing a win.
Not necessarily in the record books, though that would've been nice too. The win that Kikuchi was looking for was more in a personal sense.
With a relatively young rotation, Kikuchi is a steady veteran presence, but had a rocky start to the season going into Saturday. Through four starts, he was sitting at a 7.50 ERA and stuck with two losses and two no-decisions. That's what made Saturday night's start against the San Diego Padres so impactful.
"Kikuchi was pretty amazing. He was throwing hard. He was using his fastball, attacking it. He took some good curveballs in there, some sliders and splits... that's the kind of Kikuchi that we're used to seeing," Angels manager Kurt Suzuki said.
The veteran left-hander set a new season-high with six scoreless innings pitched, fanning eight in the process, while allowing four hits, one walk and one hit by pitch.
Four of those strikeouts came courtesy of his cutter, which looked like it had new life behind it, and another three came from his splitter. His velocity was perhaps the most promising development with his four-seam fastball going as high as 98 MPH and painting the edges of the zone.
Making adjustments
He credited a return to a lower arm angle for his new and improved effectiveness. Kikuchi said that he began the season with a higher arm slot than seasons past, though clearly through four starts it wasn't panning out the way he'd hoped.
Q&A
What was Yusei Kikuchi's ERA before the game against the Padres?
Yusei Kikuchi had a 7.50 ERA before his start against the San Diego Padres.
How did the Angels perform in the game against the Padres?
The Los Angeles Angels lost to the San Diego Padres on April 18, 2026.
What challenges was Yusei Kikuchi facing this season?
Yusei Kikuchi was struggling with two losses and two no-decisions in his first four starts of the season.
Why was Kikuchi's start against the Padres significant?
Kikuchi's start was significant as he aimed to regain his form and improve his personal performance after a rocky start to the season.