Japanese lefty Yusei Kikuchi mastered the Los Angeles Dodgers over six innings to earn an MLB career-high eighth victory in the Toronto Blue Jays 8-1 win Wednesday.
Kikuchi (8-3) struck out eight, walked two and hit one while allowing seven hits and one run at Dodger Stadium, where he pitched out of early trouble.
The Dodgers put two on with no outs in the first and loaded the bases with two outs in the second. Both times, Kikuchi reached back for big strikeouts to put out the fires.
"I had good arm action and was able to pitch right at the top of the zone," he said. "Because that raised their eye level, I could get outs with my slider and curve as they were miss-hitting them even when I left those in the heart of the zone."
Whit Merrifield gave the Blue Jays the lead with a sacrifice fly in the second. Moments after Kikuchi ended the Dodgers' frame by fanning Freddie Freeman, one of MLB's most dangerous hitters, Brandon Belt singled in Toronto's second run.
Merrifield made it 5-0 with a three-run home run in the fifth.
Kikuchi entered Wednesday's game with seven wins, matching his best MLB total from 2021 with the Seattle Mariners, when he went 7-9.
"I'm not overly concerned with wins, but it's not too bad to surpass what one's done in the past," he said.
