Yusei Kikuchi Strikes Out 12, Astros Win 5-2

Yusei Kikuchi and Cole Ragans were locked in a good, old-fashioned pitchers’ duel for the first five innings. The two southpaws went back and forth, allowing only a pair of baserunners each. Ragans, at one point, struck out eight consecutive Astros hitters. 22 whiffs on 51 swings for the evening. Kikuchi was no slouch himself, striking out seven of nine Royals hitters at one point, including four in a row. He had 20 whiffs on 52 swings. If you are a fan of quality pitchers putting up zeroes and dominating the opposing lineup, again, those first five innings were meant for you.

But the game shifted in the sixth inning in Houston’s favor. Ben Gamel, one of the two veteran outfielders Dana Brown acquired in August, continues to leave a good impression on his new club, picking up just the Astros’ second hit of the night to lead off the sixth inning. Ragans, by this point, had relatively no problems in the evening. Alas, the game for him would spiral from this point onward. Up next was Jose Altuve and he was promptly hit on the cleats for a hit-by-pitch. Ragans would then walk Yordan Alvarez to load the bases for Yainer Díaz. You can guess what happened next.

Considering how Ragans was carving up Houston’s hitters earlier in the game, it was a nice change of pace to see a Houston hitter come through in the clutch at that moment. A double steal later, Jeremy Peña would truly break the game open, hitting a triple to almost dead center, and scoring another pair of runs to give the Astros a 4-0 lead. Again, with how well Ragans was pitching earlier in his start, it was quite the reversal of fortune. Steven Cruz would then relieve Ragans, but a wild pitch would promptly allow Peña to score from third base. And, like that, the Astros found themselves with a commanding 5-0 lead.

Kikuchi would run into some issues himself in the seventh inning, allowing back-to-back one-out singles to give the Royals a bit of life. A fielder’s choice would score a run, but the left-hander would strike out Garrett Hampson to finish his night (seven innings pitched, one earned run, no walks, and 12 strikeouts). Héctor Neris was tasked with the eighth inning, but Bobby Witt Jr.’s solo home run shortened the lead to 5-2. If there is one thing I know about Kansas City, please don’t give them hope in the later innings. I’ve seen that movie before, and I don’t want to see the sequel. Thankfully, Neris wouldn’t allow any further damage and Ryan Pressly shut the door in the ninth inning.

Following a Mariners loss to the Angels, the Astros now find themselves with a five-game lead in the AL West. Houston will aim for a four-game sweep against the Royals on Sunday, with Ronel Blanco starting opposite Alec Marsh.