The Los Angeles Angels needed a strong outing to complete a sweep, and Yusei Kikuchi delivered with his best performance of the season. The veteran left-hander dominated in the Angels vs. Boston Red Sox 3-game series finale, striking out a season-high 12 batters over seven scoreless innings to lead Los Angeles to a 5-2 win at Angel Stadium Wednesday afternoon.

Kikuchi gave the Red Sox little chance to generate offense, surrendering just three hits and one walk while striking out 12. The 34-year-old struck out the side twice and retired 18 of the last 19 batters he faced. With sharp fastball command and a devastating slider, he kept Boston off balance all afternoon, lowering his ERA to 2.79.

After being pulled from the eventual win, MLB’s official X (formerly Twitter) account shared a graphic that captured Kikuchi’s dominance.

“Yusei Kikuchi had swing-and-miss stuff today 😮‍💨”

The Halos got just enough offense to support their ace. Jo Adell and Travis d’Arnaud hit back-to-back solo homers in the fourth to tie the game, before both delivered RBI singles in the fifth. An RBI hit from Mike Trout in the sixth pushed the lead to 5-2 — more than enough cushion for Kikuchi and the bullpen to seal the win.

The league also highlighted Kikuchi’s milestone with a video of his final strikeout on the day with the following caption.

“Yusei Kikuchi sets a season-high with his 12th strikeout 👏”

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That 12th strikeout capped off a clinic from Kikuchi, who’s quickly rising among MLB strikeout leaders, currently sitting at 16th in the American League. While this didn’t eclipse his career-best of 13 strikeouts in 2024, it remains one of the sharpest starts of his MLB tenure.

Kikuchi’s strikeout total pushed his season numbers to 87 Ks in 89.2 innings across 17 starts — only one of which lasted fewer than five innings. His consistency has been vital for an Angels team that has used a minimal number of starters in its rotation.

With the win, the club moves to 40-40, reaching .500 for the first time in over a month. The sweep also drops Boston below the .500 mark. Kikuchi now stands at 3-6 on the season, though his record or ERA hardly reflects his impact on the mound.

With a day off Thursday, the Halos will reset before hosting the Nationals this weekend. Kikuchi’s dominant showing sends a clear message — even without a star-studded rotation, he’s capable of delivering ace-level outings when the Angels need them most.