Kikuchi allowed four runs on eight hits and no walks while striking out four batters over five innings in a no-decision against the White Sox in Game 2 of Thursday's doubleheader.
Kikuchi displayed solid control (he threw 53 of 76 pitches for a strike) and racked up 14 whiffs, but he lasted just five frames. A third-inning two-run homer by Eloy Jimenez accounted for half the overall damage against the southpaw, who has given up nine runs over 9.1 innings through two starts in July. That follows what had looked to be a breakout month of June during which Kikuchi posted a 2.28 ERA, 0.87 WHIP and 33:6 K:BB across 27.2 frames.