Kikuchi (9-3) picked up the win in Wednesday's 4-1 victory over the Orioles, allowing one run on six hits and a walk over six innings. He struck out three.
The southpaw tossed 60 of 91 pitches for strikes in his second straight quality start. Kikuchi has an impressive 1.23 ERA, 1.23 WHIP and 23:7 K:BB through 22 innings since the All-Star break, and his current form should allow him to retain a rotation spot even after Toronto cuts back down to a five-man unit later this month. He'll try to stay efficient and effective in his next outing, likely to come early next week in Cleveland.