Associated Press
SEATTLE — Kole Calhoun and César Puello homered, Mike Trout had three RBI and the Los Angeles Angels battered Yusei Kikuchi for six early runs in a 9-3 win over the Seattle Mariners on Thursday night.
The highly anticipated first matchup in the majors between Japanese stars Kikuchi and Shohei Ohtani was quashed when Ohtani was given the night off by Angels manager Brad Ausmus. Even without Ohtani in the lineup, Los Angeles handed Kikuchi (3-3) a second straight miserable outing. The rookie gave up 10 hits in 3 1/3 innings, same as his previous game against Oakland. He failed to strike out a batter for the first time in 13 big league starts.
Kikuchi’s problems started immediately with Albert Pujols’ RBI single in the first after the left-hander opened the game with consecutive walks. Calhoun led off the second with his 11th home run and Puello followed an inning later with his second in eight at-bats since being brought up from Triple-A Salt Lake.
Trout ended Kikuchi’s night with a two-run double in the fourth.
The Angels used Luis Garcia as an opener, but it was Félix Peña (3-1) shutting down the Mariners after Garcia’s one inning. Peña threw 5 1/3 innings, allowing three hits and three runs. Tim Beckham hit a two-run homer, his 11th of the season, and later drove in another run on a groundout.
Peña is 3-0 with a 3.13 ERA in six games when the Angels have used an opener and Peña has followed.
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