Kikuchi (7-9) took the loss against Kansas City on Saturday, allowing three runs on eight hits and no walks while striking out three over three innings.
The southpaw gave up a pair of runs on four hits in the first inning, and things didn't get much better for him after that. The Royals managed two hits in each of the following two frames, with a pair of doubles in the third accounting for their third run. Kikuchi needed a whopping 86 pitches to get through three innings, leading to his early exit. He has lasted three or fewer innings in three of his past six starts, posting a 7.03 ERA and 1.77 WHIP over that stretch. His next trip to the mound is likely to come in Oakland next week.