Yusei Kikuchi threw seven innings of one-run ball while allowing three hits but took the loss as the Toronto Blue Jays went down 1-0 against the Cleveland Guardians on Tuesday.
Kikuchi (9-4) gave up the game's only run at Cleveland Progressive Field where Oscar Gonzalez opened the Guardians' second with a single and scored on Ramon Laureano's no-out double.
The lefty stranded Laureano and allowed just two other base runners, a two-out walk in the third and a two-out double in the seventh. Kikuchi struck out six and left after 95 pitches.
"The first time through their batting order, I sensed my fastball was overpowering them, and I had that feeling until the seventh," said Kikuchi, who has allowed four earned runs from his five outings since the All-Star break.
"I think the biggest change this year is that I'm attacking batters without any doubts in my mind."
Guardians right-hander Tanner Bibee (8-2) came out on top of the pitchers' duel. He escaped a one-out, bases-loaded jam in the third to pitch seven shutout innings. Bibee surrendered six hits and hit a batter, while striking out six and walking none.
Shohei Ohtani plated the opening run as he went 1-for-4 in the Los Angeles Angels' 7-5 win over the San Francisco Giants that snapped their seven-game skid.
The two-way star now has enough plate appearances to qualify among the American League's season-ending leaders in average-based statistics for the third consecutive year.
