Angels' Bullpen Spoils Kikuchi's Strong Outing in Loss to Padres

Kikuchi throws six scoreless innings with eight strikeouts, but Angels' bullpen gives up two runs in the eighth for a 4-1 loss to San Diego.

Apr. 19, 2026 at 5:58am

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A cubist-style painting depicting a baseball game between the Angels and Padres, with the players and action broken down into sharp, overlapping geometric shapes and planes in a vibrant color palette.A cubist interpretation of the tense battle between the Angels and Padres, with the game's key moments fractured into a dynamic, geometric composition.Anaheim Today

Angels starting pitcher Yusei Kikuchi delivered a strong outing, throwing six scoreless innings with eight strikeouts, but the Angels' bullpen struggled in the late innings, giving up two runs in the eighth to lead to a 4-1 loss to the San Diego Padres.

Why it matters

The loss is a tough one for the Angels, who have been playing well lately and are trying to end their postseason drought that dates back to 2014. The bullpen's struggles in close games could prove costly as the Angels continue their push for the playoffs.

The details

After making a mechanical adjustment to lower his arm angle, Kikuchi was dominant, hitting 99 mph on his fastball. However, reliever Ryan Zeferjahn gave up two runs in the eighth inning on a pair of slow-rolling singles after walking the first two batters. The Angels' offense, which had been averaging 8 runs per game over the past five, was held in check, managing just six hits.

  • Kikuchi threw six scoreless innings on Saturday, April 18, 2026.
  • Zeferjahn gave up two runs in the eighth inning on Saturday, April 18, 2026.

The players

Yusei Kikuchi

Angels starting pitcher who threw six scoreless innings with eight strikeouts.

Ryan Zeferjahn

Angels reliever who gave up two runs in the eighth inning to blow the lead.

Kurt Suzuki

Angels manager who praised the team's fight despite the tough loss.

German Marquez

Padres starting pitcher who threw 5.2 scoreless innings.

Mason Miller

Padres closer who recorded the save.

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What they’re saying

“This season my arm angle was a little higher than usual but I brought it down a little bit so that worked out perfectly.”

— Yusei Kikuchi, Angels starting pitcher

“We obviously love when Zef's pitching and he went out there and for whatever reason had a tough time with those first two hitters finding the strike zone.”

— Kurt Suzuki, Angels manager

“They never stopped fighting. They keep going. I mean (against) Mason Miller they get two guys on and the tying run comes to the plate twice. Two shots at it against the best closer in the game. These guys keep fighting and it's fun to be a part of.”

— Kurt Suzuki, Angels manager

What’s next

The Angels will look to bounce back in the series finale against the Padres on Sunday, April 19, 2026.

The takeaway

The Angels' bullpen struggles overshadowed a strong outing from Yusei Kikuchi, highlighting an area the team will need to address if they hope to end their postseason drought. However, the team's resilience and fight in the late innings provides hope that they can overcome these setbacks and continue their push towards the playoffs.