Yusei Kikuchi News: Earns first win

Kikuchi (1-4) allowed seven hits and four walks while striking out four over 5.2 scoreless innings to earn the win over the Marlins on Friday.

Kikuchi came up an out short of a quality start for the second time in a row, though this time it was due to his workload rather than an injury scare. He threw 110 pitches (70 strikes) in Friday's outing, and he was strong despite his ongoing issue with walking too many batters. He's allowed one run or fewer in three of his last four outings. Kikuchi's 3.17 ERA is strong, but his 1.49 WHIP and 54:30 K:BB over 59.2 innings (11 starts) raise plenty of concerns about sustainability. His next start is projected to be a tough home matchup versus the Yankees.