Kikuchi (7-8) allowed six runs (four earned) on three hits and four walks and didn't strike anybody out over just 1.2 innings as he took the loss Monday against the Astros.
Monday's was certainly a performance to forget for Kikuchi. He issued a walk in the first but didn't face any real trouble. He then walked three straight batters to begin the second frame and the bases eventually cleared after Jake Meyers hit a three-run homer to make it 5-0. The Astros continued to pile on with two more doubles to make it 6-0 before Kikuchi's night was finally over. The southpaw managed to throw just 19 of his 42 pitches for strikes and looked completely lost after blanking the Astros last week. It's hard to predict how Kikuchi's starts will go because he's really hit or miss at times. He now has a 4.32 ERA, 1.27 WHIP and 149:57 K:BB over 146 innings and is tentatively in line for a weekend start against the Diamondbacks.