Kikuchi allowed one earned run on six hits and one walk while striking out eight across five innings in the loss to the Diamondbacks on Sunday. He did not factor into the decision.
Kikuchi gave up just one extra-base hit in the game, and that led to his lone run allowed. He did not receive enough run support to be in line for the win. It was a much better start than his previous outing, during which he failed to get out of the second inning. The 30-year-old has a 4.23 ERA and 1.27 WHIP with 157 strikeouts in 151 innings this season.