Japanese left-hander Yusei Kikuchi pitched six innings of one-hit ball as the Toronto Blue Jays beat the Seattle Mariners 6-2 on Monday.
Playing against his former team, Kikuchi (2-1) walked three and struck out six of the 22 batters he faced at Rogers Center in his seventh start of the season, while shortstop Bo Bichette and pinch hitter Alejandro Kirk provided some offensive support with two runs apiece.
"I was aggressive with my fastballs, it comes down to that," Kikuchi said.
"I'm gaining more confidence with every game. I played three seasons with the Mariners so I was really excited about today's game."
Kikuchi started his Major League Baseball career with the Mariners in 2019. The 30-year-old signed a three-year, $36 million deal with the Blue Jays in March, adding experience and quality depth to Toronto's top-tier starting rotation.
At Globe Life Field, Shohei Ohtani went 1-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored in the Los Angeles Angels' 7-4 loss to the Texas Rangers.
Ohtani drove in the Angels' opening run on a double to deep center in the first inning, and came around to score on a Brandon Marsh double two outs later. He struck out in his other three at-bats.
At Wrigley Field, Yoshitomo Tsutsugo went 1-for-3 as the Pittsburgh Pirates mustered only three hits in a 9-0 defeat to the Chicago Cubs.
For the Cubs, Seiya Suzuki went 1-for-5, Willson Contreras hit a grand slam to highlight an eight-run first, and Wade Miley (1-0) yielded just one hit over seven strong innings.