Yusei Kikuchi pitched six scoreless innings for his first win of the season and Josh Lowe hit a home run to lead the visiting Los Angeles Angels to a 6-1 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Saturday night.
Wade Meckler doubled twice and had two RBIs, Zach Neto went 3-for-5 with an RBI and Mike Trout added two hits and an RBI for Los Angeles (54-88), which snapped a three-game losing streak.
Making just his 10th start of the season after missing almost four months with left shoulder inflammation, Kikuchi (1-5) allowed five hits, walked three and struck out six to pick up his first win since Sept. 24, 2025, against Kansas City.
Bryan Reynolds went 3-for-3 with a home run and a walk and Rafael Flores Jr. had two hits, including a double, for Pittsburgh (70-73). Braxton Ashcraft (14-6) took the loss after allowing three runs on seven hits in five innings. He struck out nine, threw a wild pitch and did not issue a walk.
Los Angeles took a 1-0 lead in the fourth inning when Meckler doubled down the left-field line and scored one out later on a single by Moises Ballesteros.
The Angels extended the lead to 3-0 in the fifth inning. Lowe led off the frame with his 11th home run, a 410-foot blast to straightaway center. Denzer Guzman followed with a single, advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt, took third on a balk and scored on Neto’s single to center.
Los Angeles broke the game open with three runs in the seventh inning off reliever Isaac Mattson. Adam Frazier doubled with one out and went to third on a single by Neto. Trout followed with an RBI single and Meckler then lined a double into the alley in right-center to drive in both Neto and Trout.
Reynolds ended the shutout with two outs in the bottom of the eighth when he clubbed his 16th home run of the season, a 421-foot drive over the bleachers in right field.
